Rich Boy, Poor Heart II
by White Crescent Moon
Summary: It's finally been a year since they've seen each other. Sakura gets the chance to stay with Sasuke and all her other friends. But there's not much time for romance when the Uchiha's stalker like neighbor tags along! SASUSAKU others OOC
1. Fugaku

**A/N: Sequel, sequel, SEQUEL!!! Whoo hoo!!! I hope you enjoy this as much as you did the first 'Rich Boy, Poor Heart'. **

**I couldn't really think of a name for the story so…I went with 'Rich Boy, Poor Heart 2'! I know, originality. XD But the title may change later on.**

**NOTE: You don't have to read the first story to understand this one. All you need to know is that: Itachi has a porn problem. Besides that, you'll have no problem understanding the rest of the plot, unless you're a retard, that is. **

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Naruto…I wouldn't be writing a FAN fiction. **

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**Rich Boy, Poor Heart 2**

**Chapter 1**

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**July 10**

'_Déjà vu…'_

That was the only thing that streaked through her mind as she finished zipping her neatly packed bags. She giggled at her best blonde friend beside her, Yamanaka Ino, as she finally managed closing her many bags of luggage shut.

**Déjà vu**

She went inside Ino's limo.

**Déjà vu**

They excited the limo. Ino blew a kiss to Yumito as usual. They picked up their bags and entered the airport.

**Déjà vu**

She dropped her bags again.

"Ah! Sorry!"

Smirk.

"Hn."

**Déjà vu…**

Haruno Sakura blushed as Uchiha Sasuke bent down, picked up her bag that was lying on the floor, walked off and signaled her to follow. Ino grinned at the two.

"Sakura-chan!!!" Naruto leaped out of nowhere and hugged the said teen. Sakura giggled, grinning and happily returning the hug.

"I missed you, Naruto!" She shouted. The blond nodded quickly.

"Yup, yup, I missed you too! And, and we get to spend **20** days together this time!!! Last time, it was only 10 days and that was LAME!!!" He whined, causing her to giggle even more as she went around to chat with more friends.

Sasuke sighed. Then, he noticed that some of her features had changed over the year.

Her hair was longer and went to the top tip of her butt, her green eyes became brighter, her cheeks were a bit chubbier, which made her look cuter, her waist was more pinched in, her breasts became fuller (he just happened to notice) and her legs were more slender. He also noticed the change of her wardrobe. Sakura's clothes were more detailed and fit her body more.

That reminded him of her job. He wanted to know if she quit. He pulled her by the arm so that they would be alone.

"Did you quit that job at the bar?" Sasuke asked. He said the word 'bar' with such disgust. She smiled warmly at him.

"Yup! I'm in school, studying to be a nurse." Sakura replied. He smirked and nodded back.

"Good girl." He said plainly. She pouted.

"I thought you wouldn't call me that anymore after all these months…" She muttered. He cocked an eyebrow up.

"Hn? Call you what?" The young Uchiha asked.

"A **girl**! I'm 18 now! I'm a woman!" She hissed. He smirked.

"Oh, so you're eighteen already? Man, you're older than me." Sasuke replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, no matter what age you are, you'll always be the same, happy, naïve **girl**." He replied, smirking. Sakura pouted.

"You haven't changed much either!" She countered back, crossing her arms unhappily.

"Hm…what do you plan on doing on your parent's death anniversary?" Sasuke asked out of the blue. She pondered the question. But the words 'parent's death' hit her a bit too hard. It made her heart feel a hard, painfull pang. Sasuke frowned, sensing her uneasiness and thinking about the fact that it was him that had made her sad.

"Oh…did I hurt you?" He asked. She looked up and shook her head.

"N-no…it's okay. I shouldn't be sulking in the first place…right?" Sakura answered back, grinning childishly. His onyx eyes softened a bit. He restrained himself from hugging her. It would be too weird at a moment like this.

"Sasuke-kun…"

He stared at her for awhile, before stretching his arm out and ruffling her bubblegum, pink hair. His fingers flinched when they touched the lavender ribbon.

"You…you still have that old thing?" He asked. She fixed her hair that he had just messed up and nodded at him.

"Of course. It means a lot, doesn't it, Sasuke-kun?" She replied. He looked at her with disbelief, before sighing and taking her wrist. They two walked back towards the rest of the group.

"They made-out while I was gone?! Really?!"

"Yeah! You should've seen Sasuke! He was like…**eating **her mouth off or something!!!"

The Uchiha twitched. He looked down at his female companion to see her blushing.

"They're talking about our departure from the airport…" She murmured nervously, looking at him with her big, round green eyes.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, um…ano…how's the summer home going to be like?" Sakura asked.

"It's…a bit big…um…you'll find out more when you see it." He replied lamely.

"I hope it won't be anything too major for you. You go crazy when you find out you're staying at some expensive looking place." He joked at her.

"Well, of course that would be my reaction! I mean, I'm pretty poor, so it's really awkward staying at some wonderful place." She replied. He sighed.

"Look, you'll fit right in. No, you **do **fit right in. Okay? And don't tell us we're treating you too much like a princess." He exclaimed. She shook her head furiously.

"I-I can't help being like that! I don't like being spoiled! There are other people who deserve this more than I do!" The pink-haired teen said in defense.

"You're underestimating yourself…you deserve this more than anyone else." Sasuke said. She rose an eyebrow.

"And how is that?" She questioned. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Now isn't the time to explain things like that." He muttered in reply.

"Okay, fine. Are Kiba-kun, Sai-san, Shino-san or Gaara-san coming too?" She asked. He shook his head as she mouthed an, "oh." She looked a bit sad.

"But that's fine I guess…but they're really fun to be around! What are they doing for summer?" Sakura asked, tilting her head to the side.

"They're in summer school. They really wanted to come too, but they couldn't." Sasuke explained.

"Oh…"

He stared at her, studying her features again. Her face was smiling, but her eyes were glazed with sadness and sorrow.

"Well, you'll be excited once you see the summer home." He said, cheering her up instantly.

"I can't wait to see it!" Sakura exclaimed, grinning.

"Sakura, you got some new clothes. How did you do that if you're being a student right now?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, Ino said she would buy me clothes before we went here. I'm very grateful!" She replied cheerfully.

"I'm so excited to be going to Chugoku, but it's going to rain while we're there…" Sakura trailed off.

"That's okay, Sakura-chan!!! It's still pretty cool inside!!!" Naruto shouted, launching himself into the conversation.

"Plus, there's an indoor hot springs bath, which is kind of awkward, but awesome at the same time!" He added happily.

"Oh? You've been there before, Naruto?" The pink-haired girl asked. He nodded.

"Of course! I go there every summer. Well…except last summer. We went to California. Me and teme are like brothers!" The happy blond replied, hugging the Uchiha.

"Stop that. That's gay." Sasuke commanded. Naruto let go quickly and dusted Sasuke off, not to leave any 'germs'. Sakura smiled, admiring their friendship.

"The flight to Chugoku is leaving soon. I suggest that those going there should board the plane now." A pleasant voice said over the speakers in the airport. They all picked up their bags and went to the plane.

"I'm glad getting to Chugoku isn't going to take as long as going to California. I thought I was going to throw up last year." Ten Ten said as they took their seats. Each row held three people.

Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto sat in the first row. Hinata, Ten Ten and Neji sat in the row behind them. And Shikamaru and Ino sat in a row very far off from the people. They were planning on having some 'private time' together.

The plane finally flew down and went to a complete stop.

Sasuke was about to get up from his seat, when he realized Sakura was sleeping and leaning on him, just like last year.

He touched his chin, remembering the pain she brought to him.

'_She has such a hard head…'_

This time, bring very careful and cautious…he poked her.

To his relief, her eye just fluttered open and she looked at him. It was a good thing she hadn't bolted out of her seat like last time.

Sasuke observed her sleepy eyes.

"Oh…is it time to go already?" The pink-haired teen asked. He merely nodded and helped her with her bags.

The group went inside a limo and to the Uchiha summer home.

"Ah!!! They're here!!! Ita-chan, help them with their bags, please!" A thrilled voice shouted once the limo stopped in front of the house. Sakura widened her eyes. The place was so…**elegant**.

The walls were a pure white. Stalks of bamboo could be seen, giving the place a serene feeling. There was a huge, beautiful fountain. The summer home seemed so perfect.

Sakura just stood there, like an idiot, staring in awe. Itachi quietly took her bags, snuck into the living room and looked through them, looking for a book bag. **(refer to the last chapter of RB, PH.)**

Mikoto glared at him from behind.

"Ita-chan, why are you looking through Sakura-chan's bags?" She asked, tapping her fingers impatiently. She took the bags before he could answer and put them in one of the guest rooms.

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"Sakura? Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, waving a hand in front of her face. She merely nodded

"Sasuke-kun…this place is truly amazing…" She muttered. A man stepped out of the house, with a frowning face, observing his son as he talked with a pink-haired girl.

"Sasuke." The man spoke. Sasuke turned around. His happy face turned into a stoic, emotionless one.

"Father." He replied. Sakura's smile also disappeared.

'_E-eh?! This is Sasuke-kun's Tou-san?!'_

She didn't expect for his father to look like this. She expected a semi-happy, optimistic young man. But instead, he was an old lump with wrinkles and a deep scowl. She was wondering why Mikoto had married and had sex with such a cold looking man.

She instantly bowed in front of him.

"It's nice to meet you, Uchiha-sama." She greeted. Fugaku scoffed.

"Yes." He answered back, rudely. But Sakura was oblivious to his tone. Sasuke glared at his father.

"Sasuke-kun!!!!!!" A shrill voice screamed. The young Uchiha twitched, before being enveloped in a big hug by a tall, slender woman.

"Ah…Yumi-chan, it's nice to see you again." Fugaku said. Sasuke pushed her away, clearly annoyed.

Yumi had long, blonde hair that smelled strongly of a delicious smelling odor. Her arms and legs were slender and she had beautiful curves. She had brown eyes, covered in mounds of eye shadow and plump lips covered with lip gloss. Her cheeks were dusted with a red blush and her face was free of blemishes and looked like it would be damaged if you touched it.

Mikoto and Itachi walked out of the house. Once they saw Yumi, their faces twitched in annoyance with a mix of horror.

"Oh! Hello, Mikoto-sama and Ita-kun!!!!" The girl yelled, waving happily. Mikoto managed a small smile while Itachi had his mouth still open as if Yumi were a monster.

The girls growled as the boys frowned. They despised Yumi with all their hearts.

Ino sighed as Yumi attempted to hug Sasuke again.

"Look, Yumi, he clearly doesn't want to be hugged by a slut like you. He's **taken**." The blonde said boldly. The other blonde haired beauty rose an eyebrow.

"Hm? You and Sasuke-kun are dating now?" She asked, using a tone of digust. Ino grinned, a glint appearing in her vibrant, blue eyes. It was like the evil, full moon shining down onto the ocean.

"No, he's taken by Sakura." She replied, pointing at the clueless pink-haired girl. Yumi widened her eyes as the pink-haired girl waved with a dumb expression on her face.

"Never in my life have I seen something so **ugly**!" She gasped dramatically. Sakura had a hurt expression on her face. Sasuke decided to take action.

"Then, look at yourself in the mirror You'll spot something even uglier." He replied, tugging Sakura's wrist and guiding her to her room.

"And, and…you might even break the mirror!!!" Naruto added in loudly, flailing his arms around, earning a scary look from Yumi.

"No one fucking asked for you opinion!" She screeched, walking off, her hips waving about in the process.

------------------------------

"Hey, Sakura, are you okay?" Was the first thing Sasuke asked once the were out of ear shot from the others. She nodded and smiled, her face bright and cheerful once again. Sasuke sighed.

"That's Amika Yumi. She's my stalking neighbor. I had no idea she would follow me here…" He explained, running his hand through his raven colored locks.

"That's okay. She seems…lively." Sasuke smirked at her reply. They stopped at a big, double door. Sasuke opened it to reveal a huge room. There was a king sized bed, three massive closets, some drawers, cabinets, a full view mirror and much more. The pink-haired girl gasped.

"S-Sasuke-kun! This room is so…so…big…" She murmured. She stepped back.

"I…I don't think I deserve this type of thing…" Sakura admitted. He smirked and ruffled her bubble gum hair playfully.

"Of course you do. You've been through so much and…" Sasuke paused as he took out something from his pocket. He handed her a petite, pink box, tied up neatly in a silk, white ribbon.

"You deserve a lot." The Uchiha finished, putting the box towards her hands.

"A-a gift?! Sasuke-kun, you're being too kind!!" She shouted, pushing the box away.

"We haven't seen each other for a whole year…and I thought it would be nice to get you something." The raven-haired teen replied.

"O-okay…" She muttered nervously, gingerly taking the box into her hands. She slowly opened the package and widened her eyes. It was a small, pink music box, covered in printed cherry blossoms. It had a nice, silky feeling and had borders of silver and gold.

"Sasuke-kun…it's…"

"Hello!!!"

Sakura yelped as she fell to the floor. She hugged the music box close to her chest, so it didn't break.

"I'm Suzusu Iko!!! I'm the maid on this first floor!!!" The bright, red head girl introduced herself. She did a cute curtsy and smiled warmly.

"Ah! I see you brought a girl with you, Sasuke-sama! She's very cute!" She cooed, hugging Sakura. Sakura looked at her curiously.

'_This girl…is probably my age…and yet, she doesn't have a crush on Sasuke-kun…'_

"Yeah. Iko, this is Sakura." Sasuke said. Sakura waved timidly.

"Aww!!! You're too cute to be human!!! You're like an adorable chibi!!! Kya! You're so kawaii!!!" Iko admired.

"Anyways, Sasuke-sama and Sakura-chan, it's dinner time!" The cheerful maid informed. And with that, she skipped down happily down the wide hallways. Sakura stared after her in complete awe.

"Sasuke-kun, she doesn't go… 'ga ga' over you…" She muttered. Sasuke nodded.

"She doesn't have a crush on me. She likes this other guy who works at some market. Why? Are you getting jealous?" He asked, smirking widely. Sakura blushed as she turned away.

"N-no! I have no interest in who you date!" She defended herself. Suddenly, a brown eyed, blonde teen popped out of nowhere.

"Y-Yumi-san?!" Sakura nearly stumbled back in surprise. Yumi grinned.

"Oh, so you have no interest in whom Sasuke-kun dates? Well, in that case"—

She frowned when she spotted the gift. Her frowned deepened when she saw the nervous looking pink-haired girl holding a small, pink music box close to her chest.

"Hm? Sakura, were did you get _that_?" She asked, a disgusted look on her pretty face. Sakura looked down at the music box. She fidgeted under the other girl's stare.

"A-ano…S-Sasuke-kun gave it to me…" She muttered in reply, holding the gift tighter. Yumi cocked an eyebrow up, then smiled.

"Oh, I see. A generous donation for the poor. How nice, Sasuke-kun!" She answered back cheerfully, plastering a fake smile onto her face as she attempted to hug the nearby Uchiha. Sasuke moved, so, she missed.

"Aw…Sasu-kun, wouldn't you be with me than that man stealing who"—

"Oh, Sakura, didn't Iko say it was dinner time? Let's go." Sasuke interrupted the fan girl's sentence and the Uchiha and the little cherry blossom silently made their way to the dining room, leaving Yumi alone.

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"Sasuke-kun, that wasn't very nice!" The pink-haired girl hissed. Sasuke shrugged.

"So? Who said I was nice? Anyways, Yumi is a bitch." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I think loving someone as much as Yumi-san loves you is something to be handled with care." Sakura replied. He cocked an eyebrow up.

"She loves me for my **money **and my **looks**. I would never stoop so low as to go out with her." The young Uchiha answered back, with a slightly harsh tone. Sakura's green eyes softened.

"I think Yumi-san also loves you for your personality." She whispered. Sasuke sighed.

"No, she doesn't. Besides, nothing in the world would change my opinion of her." He spat. She looked down at the ground. Iko observed them silently from a corner, smiling.

"Hee, hee…young love." She giggled quietly.

------------------------------

"I don't really like that girl…" Fugaku muttered. Mikoto punched his arm lightly.

"Gaku-kun! Sakura-chan is a great girl!" She replied, defending the pink-haired girl. He sighed and shook his head lightly. The older Uchiha cast his wife a dark look.

"If Sasuke continues to interact with this girl, the business might end up falling. I don't want my son to be dating with some money poor girl." He said in a disgusted tone. Mikoto fought the urge to slap him.

"Business? Business?!" She huffed out angrily, standing up and childishly stomping her foot onto the floor.

"Sakura-chan may be poor, but she has the power to change one's heart!" And with that, the Uchiha woman cried out in frustration, before quickly exiting the room. Fugaku frowned.

'_Haruno…I will find some way to get rid of you…'_

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Everyone sat at the huge table. Sakura looked around the dining room in complete awe. Fugaku scoffed at her naïve reaction.

"Wow…" He heard her mutter under her breath. Finally, after moments of time, Iko and other maids brought in the food and took their own seats. The long table was soon filled with roast chicken, turkey and beef, a bowl filled with different vegetables, chunky mashed potatoes, pies, many types of steaming, warm bread, fried rice, sweet white rice, different kinds on sushi, chocolate cakes, sherbets and lots of other things. And don't forget the ramen!

Naruto took bowls and bowls of ramen. Hinata watched him and giggled as she would slowly eat her rice and vegetables. Ino surprisingly ate plenty of food. Shikamaru was chew lazily and quite loud.

Itachi's food seemed to disappear under his collar. Sakura ate nervously. She didn't want to look like she was overeating. Mikoto gave her a worried look.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan? Is the food bad?" She asked, placing her fork down. Sakura shook her head with a bright smile.

"N-no…I'm just…not very hungry!" She replied. Mikoto stared at her before slowly nodding.

After a while, Iko came out with a big platter. Sakura rose an eyebrow.

'_Hm? What's that…?'_

The cheerful maid set the plate down and took the covering off, revealing a big, freshly made cheesecake. Sakura's green, apple eyes widened. Sasuke smirked at her reaction.

Chocolate decorated the top that said 'Happy Start of Summer Vacation Day!'

"Heh, Naruto was the one who came up with the dumb greeting." Sasuke said, putting his large hand onto her shoulder. She jumped slightly at his touch. Naruto stuck his tongue out.

"Meh, well, I wasn't the one who came up with the cheesecake idea." He replied. Sasuke turned his head to the side, avoiding Sakura's perplexed look.

"Thank you." Sakura finally answered back, smiling warmly. They all took a slice of cheesecake and ate it gratefully, enjoying their time together. Even Yumi chose this time not to goggle over the young Uchiha.

Sakura grinned at her best friends as she bit into the warm, tender cheesecake.

'_The beginning of summer vacation…I never want it to end…'_

Everyone else bit into their cheesecakes in unison, enjoying its delicious taste.

'_Staying with everyone…god…'_

She smiled at Sasuke as he smirked back.

'_What should I call this feeling…?'_

Sasuke rose his hand up, holding a napkin.

'_This 'thing' growing in my heart…'_

He wiped off a smudge of the cheesecake off of her cheek, smirking all the while. She blushed a light pink tint.

'_Happiness…? No…it's much better than that…'_

She licked her finger and wiped off a piece of cheesecake off of his nose. They laughed at each other.

'_Blooming in my grateful heart…'_

**End of day 1**

**A/N: How was that? Good? Bad?**

**Please review!!!**

**Filler Scene**

"_Sakura, what did you do with the porn books you accidentally took from me last year?" Itachi asked. He couldn't look inside the book bag last time, since his mother had stopped him. Sakura smiled._

"_Oh! I burned them!" She replied. He resisted the urge to fall to his knees and cry. _

"_Um…by the way, Itach-kun…what is porn?" She asked nervously. _

"_It makes young people feel 'excited'." He replied. She widened her green apple eyes._

"_Eh? Cool! Porn must be very fun to read!" Sakura answered back in complete awe._

"_Indeed, it is." He muttered, still mourning over the loss of his precious 'books'. _

**End of filler scene**


	2. Iko

**A/N: Ugh! Finally I update, huh?**

**Okay, enough with my talking, just enjoy this chapter!**

**DISCLAIMERS TO:**

**NARUTO © MASASHI KISHIMOTO**

**I'M YOURS © JASON MRAZ **

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter 2**

**I'm Yours**

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_She licked her finger and wiped off a piece of cheesecake off of his nose. They laughed at each other._

'_Blooming in my grateful heart…'_

**End of Day 1**

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_Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it _

_I tried to be chill but your so hot that i melted _

_I fell right through the cracks, and i'm tryin to get back _

_before the cool done run out i'll be givin it my best test _

_and nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention _

_I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some _

_I won't hesitate no more, _

_no more, it cannot wait i'm yours _

_Well open up your mind and see like me _

_open up your plans and damn you're free _

_look into your heart and you'll find love love love _

_listen to the music at the moment maybe sing with me _

_Ah, la peaceful melody _

_It's your god forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved Loved _

_So, i won't hesitate no more, _

_no more, it cannot wait i'm sure _

_there's no need to complicate our time is short _

_this is our fate, i'm yours _

_scat _

_I've been spendin' way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror _

_and bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer _

_my breath fogged up the glass _

_and so I drew a new face and laughed _

_I guess what I'm a sayin'is there ain't no better reason _

_to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons _

_it's what we aim to do _

_our name is our virtue _

_I won't hesitate no more, no more _

_it cannot wait, i'm sure _

_(there's no need to complicate _

_our time is short _

_it cannot wait, i'm yours 2x _

_no please don't complicate, our time is short _

_this is our fate, im yours. _

_no please don't hesitate no more, no more _

_it cannot wait, the sky is yours!) _

_well open up your mind and see like me _

_open up your plans and damn you're free _

_look into your heart and you'll find love love love love _

_listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me _

_ah, la one big family _

_it's your god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved _

_open up your mind and see like me _

_open up your plans and damn you're free _

_look into your heart and you'll find love love love love _

_listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me _

_ah, la happy family _

_it's our god forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved _

_listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me _

_ah, la peaceful melodies _

_it's you god forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved... _

**Morning, Day 2**

**July 11**

Sakura had awoken way too early that morning. She couldn't go back to sleep, the attracting smell of cooking bacon downstairs led her down to the kitchen.

"Mikoto-san? Why are you preparing breakfast so early? And isn't Iko supposed to be doing this type of thing?" The pink-haired girl asked nervously. The woman smiled as she wiped her hands with her apron.

"Iko is still asleep. And it would be a bother to her if I woke her up. She stayed up late with the rest of the maids last night. Their already planning Sasuke-kun's party." She informed.

"Eh? Sasuke-kun has a birthday?!" She yelled as if it were the most surprising thing in the whole world. Mikoto giggled.

"Sakura-chan, of course he has a birthday. Even if he seems like a stone, he's still human." She pointed out. Sakura sighed.

"I guess I just never thought of it…Mikoto-san, it'll be a shame if that food you cooked for breakfast gets cold by the time everyone else wakes up. It's still very early." The pink-haired woman said, eyeing the bacon, biscuits, scrambled eggs and many other delicious looking food.

"Oh, feel free to dig in right now!" The Uchiha woman chirped, heading over to grab a plate.

"N-no! I feel strange when eating by my self…" She trailed off, rubbing her arm shyly.

"Oh. Then, I'll eat with you!" Mikoto said. Sakura giggled.

'_She sure has a lot of backup plans…'_

A few minutes after they ate some breakfast, Sasuke came downstairs.

"Hm? Mom? Why are you up so…" He glanced at Sakura.

"Sakura, do you have any idea what sleep is? How long have you been up?" He asked in a stern tone.

"Um…only about…one hour." She replied sheepishly. Sasuke sighed.

"You woke up at four in the morning? Go back upstairs and get some sleep. The others won't wake up until six." He said.

"But…I don't feel sleepy…" She muttered, biting into a piece of juicy bacon.

"Go. Upstairs." He pointed towards the stairs, with his eyes closed.

"Sasuke-chan, let the girl be." Mikoto said.

"Hm? Protective already, little brother?" Itachi spoke as he walked through the door.

"Eh? Itachi-kun, what were you doing outside so late???" Sakura questioned.

"Oh…things." He replied, hiding a suspicious looking bag behind his back. (heh, heh, he went out to buy porn!)

"Anyways, don't force her to do things, Sasuke." Itachi continued. Sasuke mumbled something under his breath as he bit into a large biscuit, dusted with cheese.

"Good morning, mates!" Iko shouted, imitating an Australian accent and she jumped from the top step of the stairs to the bottom floor. Sakura jumped up in surprise.

"I-Iko-chan?! How can you jump from up there to down here?!" She yelled. Iko grinned.

"Oh, I do that all the time. But today, I feel even more energetic!" The bubbly girl replied.

"Oh! Bacon and scrambled eggs!" She stuffed her mouth full of food, then realized something.

"Uchiha-chan-sama, did you make this?! Ah! I was supposed to! I'm sorry for my horrible selfishness!" Iko shouted. Sakura sweat-dropped.

'_Uchiha-chan-ama…?'_

"Oh, no, dear, it's perfectly fine. I enjoy cooking." Mikoto answered kindly. Iko began crying.

"I'm…I'm so touched!" She yelled, wiping her tears. Everyone took this time to sweat-drop anime style.

**Three Hours Later**

"C'mon, Sakura!" Ino dragged the hesitant girl towards the photo booth.

"No, I'm okay, Ino-pig! A-and besides, there's not enough room and "—

Sasuke's arm came out of the photo booth and tugged, pulling her into the photo booth. Ino followed.

"Stop complaining. There's plenty of room." He said. She blushed.

"T-that's because I'm in your **lap**, baka!" She said loudly, a bright red blush still on her cheeks. He smirked.

"Exactly."

Ten Ten inserted the money and so, the fun began.

------------------------------

"Aha! Ino-pig, you look so funny here!" Sakura laughed loudly, pointing at the blonde girl who was seriously looking like a pig. Ino sighed.

"Shut up, forehead! At least I wasn't looking like a freaking tomato the whole time!" She yelled back. The pink-haired girl gave an offended look.

"Stop arguing guys, this day is supposed to be a fun time at the mall." Ten Ten interrupted their small argument. Hinata pointed her index fingers together shyly.

"Um…that ice-cream p-parlor looks…d-d-decent…" She whispered. Naruto grinned.

"Yea! Hinata-chan's idea is great! C'mon, guys!" He yelled like a child who just had coffee.

"Um…we'll pass. You two go on and have fun." Ten Ten said in a hurried tone, pushing them towards the ice-cream shop. Once they were both out of sight, Neji cocked an eyebrow up at her.

"Do you plan on pairing up my cousin and that **n00b**?" He asked.

"Oh, look! A weapon shop! Ten Ten, didn't you want to observe the kunai here?" Ino said, a plan forming in her head.

"Um…I can see that later…" The brunette replied, realizing Ino's plan.

"Actually, I was planning on looking at the swords…" Neji trailed off. Sakura's eyes brightened.

"Ah! Ten Ten, since you have so much experience in weapons, why don't you get help Neji…er…look around?" She insisted, pushing the couple away.

"Um…no, really…I…uh"—

"Actually, Ten Ten, I think I really might need help looking around." Neji stopped her sentence short. The girls looked at him in surprise.

'_Now Neji's offering??!!!'_

"So…" He glanced around.

"Bye."

He took Ten Ten by the wrist and the two disappeared into the crowd. Ino sighed dreamily.

"Huh…our little Neji-chan is growing up so fast!" The blonde said, wiping away a fake tear.

"If Neji heard you say that, you would be so dead by now." Shikamaru pointed out. The girl glared at him.

"If you say something like that again, **you'll **be the dead one!" She threatened. Her blue eyes soon drifted off to a nearby shop selling stuffed plushies. Then, she looked towards Sasuke and Sakura.

"Forehead girl, you like stuffed bunnies, don't you?" The blonde asked.

"Um…yea…" She replied, a bit confused.

"Well, look at that! Stuffed bunnies that are fifty percent off!" She yelled happily, acting like a sales person or something.

**Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it **

**I tried to be chill but your so hot that i melted **

**I fell right through the cracks, and i'm tryin to get back **

**before the cool done run out i'll be givin it my best test **

**and nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention **

**I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some **

Sasuke glared at the Yamanaka girl. Sakura eyed a small, pink bunny holding a big, plush star.

"Um…" Sakura looked in her pocket to see if she had money. Sasuke saw her frown deeply.

"Crap, I forgot all my money back at the summer home…" She cursed, looking sadly at the bunny she wanted so bad. The bunny seemed to look sad too. Sasuke grabbed her wrist and the two vanished into the small, quaint shop.

**I won't hesitate no more, **

**no more, it cannot wait i'm yours **

"Hey, you." Sasuke said, looking towards one of the workers in the shop. The girl was wearing a cute, but revealing, maid outfit. Her hair was dark red and tied into two adorable buns, decorated with pins dangling with small bunny charms…this girl looked a lot like…

"I-Iko-chan?!" Sakura shouted in surprise. Iko turned around and gasped.

"Wow! It's Sakura-chan and Uchiha-sama…and they're **together**! How kawaii!" She grinned, pinching Sasuke's cheeks. He scoffed as he pushed her hands away from his face. He rubbed his aching cheeks.

"What brings you two here?" Iko asked.

"The real questions is, why are **you **here and what is with that outfit? You look like a **prostitute**." Sasuke said. Sakura hit his arm lightly.

"Sasuke-kun, that's rude!" She snapped. The red-haired girl sighed.

"Sasuke-sama has a right to ask that question…you know of the small house I rented by yours, right, Sasuke-sama?" She asked. Sasuke nodded.

"I…I needed to get another job in order to be able to pay for it." Iko continued.

"And…this job pays a lot, considering the fact that girls have to wear these outfits. So, I applied and got the job! I was able to pay for the rent but…lately…men…" She drifted off.

"Mainly men like to come in here. You know, to buy presents for their girlfriends and such…but…"

"Iko, quit this job. You can come and live at the summer home." He said. Iko looked up at him in surprise.

"N-no! I can't possibly"—

"Iko-chan, I can't stand watching you work here! Please, listen to Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said. Iko looked hesitant. She looked at her empty wrist, as if she had a watch on.

"It's…it's my break time." She muttered as she made her way through the crowd to go inside a room that read 'Employees Only'.

"Poor Iko-chan…" The pink-haired girl murmured. The Uchiha next to her scoffed.

"This whole mess was her own fault. Just leave her alone." He advised.

Sakura sighed.

**Well open up your mind and see like me **

**open up your plans and damn you're free **

**look into your heart and you'll find love love love **

**listen to the music at the moment maybe sing with me **

**Ah, la peaceful melody **

**It's your god forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved Loved **

"Anyways, you wanted that bunny holding a star, didn't you?" Sasuke asked, pointing at the said object. The pink-haired girl nodded.

"B-but you don't have to buy it for me! I really"—

She looked to her side to see he was already gone and at the cash register, paying for the bunny.

"Sasuke-kun!" She yelled, whining. He thrust the bag into her arms and began walking away, signaling her to follow. Sakura jogged after him, clutching tightly into the bag.

"Sasuke-kun…seriously…you didn't have to…"

"This might be your only chance to be here. Enjoy it while it lasts." Sasuke said. Sakura stared at him, then smiled.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun!" She chirped, grabbing his arm. He flinched at the quick contact, but soon relaxed. They soon met up with a blushing Naruto and Hinata, a flushed Neji and Ten Ten and a content Shikamaru and Ino.

"So…how was it…?" The blonde asked, nudging Sasuke happily. He shrugged.

"Nothing much…I just bought her a toy." He replied back. Ino frowned.

"You mean you two didn't **kiss**?" She asked.

"I-Ino-pig! Don't jump to sudden conclusions!" The pink-haired girl shouted. Her friend sighed.

"C'mon, Naruto and Hinata shared their first kiss together…in an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor, but oh well…and Neji and Ten Ten had their first kiss together too! And they **tongued**!!!" She said loudly, causing people to stare at her.

Hinata turned a color of a tomato; while Ten Ten refrained herself from stabbing her newly bought kunai into Ino's back.

"Um…well how about you and Shikamaru? Do you two do anything?" Sakura countered back. Ino shrugged.

"Of course. We were in the **furniture **section. They kicked us out though, because we were making out on the bed." She replied with a huge grin. Sakura's cheeks turned red, as she imagined the scene.

"Anyways, we should get going. It's pretty late. You know how Mikoto-san is." Ino pointed out. They nodded in agreement.

**A/N: I was so depressed at the fact that I already got a writer's block with this story…**

**But then…I got a spark! **

**So, yes please review!**

**AND I'M LOOKING FOR A BETA! GO TO MY PROFILE FOR DETAILS! **

**And for those people who already applied…um…please give this another week's time until I'm ready to choose. Thank you! XD**


	3. Rain

**A/N: I seriously forgot the reviewer's corner for the first chapter!!! And I'm SO sorry! **

**This chapter came in a bit later than expected. It was all my fault for not choosing a beta sooner, though. Anyways, I got my beta: slavetothekeyboard. But I lost the file, so I had to rush back to my deleted mail and hoping it wasn't gone for good. Thankfully, it was still there, so I re-saved it! YAY!**

**Anyways, here's the reviewer's corner that was supposed to be there in the last chapter: (sorry if I misspelled or forgot anyone!)**

**9081 **(thanks for being the first reviewer for the sequel:D)(sorry for the grammar mistakes! That's why I got myself a new beta, haha!)**, krazykoreangurl, Izari-Hime, XxAnime HokagexX, darknesses-light, Staraz, Sasusaku Roolz **(hm…should I? lolz.)**, Zoeraine, Kasumii-Hime **(thanks for the suggestion!)**, thegrlofdreams345, ino8, chocolateangel5, CbRiAZcYh, Itachi-kunsOneTrueLove, vampirekakurine, Kunoichi-of the-Leaf, Freedomstar999, Crazy Neko Girl, Friesenator, Naruki Uchiha, XInnerXRaX, cherry blossom petals, VWaterlily, MidNitePoiseN, UchihaBlood0110 **(I'm in 7th grade )**, HimeIchigoYuki, XxPinkCherryBlossoms4, MizuHime181996, Destiny of Darkness, XxSilver-TwilightxX, Megan, xxItachi's Angelxx, DemonicAngel08 **(I'm not much of a NejiTen fan, but I'm trying my best)**, WaterBlossom1, deedee2034, nikksonido **(wow, thank you!)** and mandy! Thank you to all my reviewers! I love you guys a lot!!!**

**OKAY, now let's move along…this chapter views a bit more on the past…**

**The song follows Sasuke, Sakura, Itachi, and his old crush. **

**Chapter 3**

**Together**

------------------------------

**Since the day that we met girl  
I've never had anyone make me feel this way  
And my heart is sure it wants to be with you  
Want to give you the whole world… Ooh**

**If you make the promise to me, I'm gonna stay  
Without you guiding me, I'm lost and so confused **

What will it take to show you I'll be by you're side  
Cause I got you and I want to give you what you never had  
Girl everyday I hope to make you part of my life  
Cause you know me and I know you  
Girl your love is where its at…ooh

I'm gonna be the love that's gonna last  
And be the one that got your back  
And nothing never that bad

**That we would be together  
And we both made a mistake  
And something never wished we made  
But we will be okay if we just stay together **

Ooh…I know he left you stranded  
And you paid the price when you messed up your life  
Girl I know you're so afraid but I can't right the wrong  
I know you saw the lipstick on my window  
And wonder how many chicks been to my home  
I done my share of playing games  
But for you I given up that life

What will it take to show you I'll be by you're side  
Cause I got you and I want to give you what you never had  
Girl everyday I hope to make you part of my life  
Cause you know me and I know you  
Girl your love is where its at…ooh

Baby you're the one I'm waiting for  
Because you give me what I needed more  
Cause its clear that we are meant to be  
Together… Together… We should be together  
Eternally….

**Ooh… And I'm gonna be….**

------------------------------

They all headed back to the summer home. After a few hours of relaxing, Ino came bursting through the door, holding a bunch of video tapes.

"I…I found them!" The blonde yelled, smiling even though she was very tired from running. Shikamaru walked up to her and took a few tapes from her.

"Found what?" TenTen asked as she and Neji ate from a bag of Hot Cheetos. Shikamaru sighed.

"Are you serious, Ino?" He asked after reading the title of one of the tapes.

"Yes! Let's watch them right now!" Ino shouted as she shoved the first tape into the VCR. TenTen threw a Hot Cheeto at her.

"Hey! We don't know what we're watching! We could be watching porn for all we know!" The brunette shouted. Ino sighed.

"Calm down! This is much better than porn," she replied. TenTen sat back down and gave her friend an odd stare.

"What could be better than porn?" Itachi mumbled as he walked by.

They all directed their direction to the huge TV screen.

"_Forehead, this is Naruto, he's really…loud. And, this is Hinata, she's shy, but sometimes sticks up for herself! The one next to her is Neji. He's Hinata's cousin. The brunette is TenTen. She's the daughter of the famous weapon maker! And the last one is lazy ass Shikamaru; his family raises pure bred deer, as weird as it may sound..."_ _An oddly younger version of Ino said. _

Sakura widened her eyes.

"T-this was from last year…" She said in awe. Neji looked at Ino.

"Who was video recording?" He asked. She shrugged.

"It was probably the author of this stupid story…" She muttered. **(A/N: WAH!)**

The video made a click sound and then… On the screen… Were two figures seated down on the plane. One of them was sleeping…

Sakura blushed. Sasuke fidgeted nervously.

**Since the day that we met girl  
I've never had anyone make me feel this way  
And my heart is sure it wants to be with you  
Want to give you the whole world… Ooh  
If you make the promise to me, I'm gonna stay  
Without you guiding me, I'm lost and so confused  
**

_Sakura was sleeping on Sasuke's shoulder. She seemed to be enjoying his nice warmth. _

She frowned when Naruto made Ino jealous by pointing at the two cuddling teens.

'_Wow… I'm glad that's over with…'_

She glanced at Ino. She seemed unaffected by watching herself being angry.

Everyone burst out laughing when Sakura bumped her head into Sasuke's chin as they were getting off the plane.

Sasuke winced at the memory… He could feel an aching pain in his chin all of a sudden…

------------------------------

_Ding Dong!_

"I'll get it." Itachi spoke as he got up from the couch and walked towards the front door. He lazily (and quite rudely) swung the door open. His coal eyes widened when he saw a girl standing there.

She had slightly long black hair, beautiful dark eyes and a wonderful body.

"R-Rain-cha"--

"Oh! Rain-chan! Come in! Come in! Itachi-chan, take her bags!" Mikoto burst in, smiling happily. Rain nodded timidly as she walked into the summer home.

Itachi glared a bit at his mother as he dragged Rain's bags into the house.

"Itachi-chan! I totally forgot to tell you! I invited Rain-chan over!" His mother explained, laughing. He swore he saw an evil spark in her eye.

'_I already took care of Sasuke's romantic affairs…now, it's your turn!' _

"Rain-chan, your room is the very last one down the left hall, right next to Itachi's! Now, Itachi, take her bags there! Run along you two!" She shooed them off.

Sasuke turned around.

"Mother, I know what you're planning." He spoke in an emotionless tone.

"So, are you going to stop me?" Mikoto asked, acting like a selfish child. Sasuke smirked.

"No, I'm going to help you out." He replied, feeling extremely evil. Mikoto widened her eyes and clapped her hands with glee.

"Ah! Thank you Sasuke-chan!" She shouted. Sasuke merely smirked again, and turned back around.

'_REVENGE, NII-SAN!'_

------------------------------

**What will it take to show you I'll be by you're side  
Cause I got you and I want to give you what you never had  
Girl everyday I hope to make you part of my life  
Cause you know me and I know you  
Girl your love is where its at…ooh**

Itachi fumbled with the bags as he slowly opened the door to the black-haired girl's door. He widened his eyes in surprise as he entered the room.

On the walls, were posters of naked and nearly naked women. And on the floor, were stacks and stacks of porn books and DVDs. There was a little TV at the corner of the room.

The drawers, cabinets and bed were covered in photos.

'_Crap…I forgot that this was my "Porn Room"…' _

Rain stared at him… Then slapped his cheek. He bit his lip to stop himself from yelling (and failed).

"O-Ouch?!" He shouted, surprised as he rubbed his cheek.

"You! I thought you were over porn! I-I can't believe you!" She yelled.

"What happened to the shy little girl a few minutes before?!" Itachi said loudly.

"I admit it, I'm shy. But I am not afraid of anything! I'm not afraid to slap you!" She countered back. He let out a frustrated sigh.

Behind the door, Mikoto frowned.

'_This is going to take a while…'_

------------------------------

Dinner was eaten in an… awkward silence. The constant sound of Naruto munching on his piece of fried chicken was the only sound that could be heard so far. Everyone else was staring at Itachi and Rain, who were currently glaring at each other.

"I…thought it was called a **staring **contest, not a **glaring **contest." Naruto said with a mouthful of chicken. The two glaring teens instantly turned to glare at him instead. The blond let out a small, nervous squeak as he sunk in his chair. Realizing what she had just done, Rain forced a gentle expression on her face. She patted Naruto's shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I guess I just over reacted a bit…" The black-haired girl apologized, smiling. Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Pfft, 'a bit'…" Itachi scoffed quietly. Mikoto sighed as she laid her clean, unused fork on her plate.

"Ita-chan, please, give Rain a chance." She said. Itachi sighed too as he stood up and went outside. Sakura looked at the place he had been sitting before with a very worried expression. She got up and went after him. Sasuke merely sat there, not even sparing her the smallest of glances.

Sakura jogged a bit. She spotted Itachi sitting on a large rock right outside the summer home. Quietly, she sat next to him. He looked at her, and then looked away.

"What do you want?" He asked, still not looking at her. She frowned and scooted closer to him.

"Why are you so angry at Rain-san?" The pink-haired girl asked. Itachi let out a very long sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. He finally turned to look at her.

"Look, we had a very complicated past. It's really none of your business." He replied rudely. Right when he thought she was about to withdraw, she stood up and flicked him hard on the forehead. He winced as he rubbed his forehead.

'_So that's how Sasuke feels when I flick his forehead…'_

"I'm not leaving without a reply." She said in a serious tone. He gestured for her to sit back down.

"Okay… We used to be… Together. But then, she suddenly decided to move to England with her mother. She claimed that she couldn't bear to leave her mom alone. It seemed as if she didn't care about my feelings at all." The elder Uchiha explained.

"Oh, so that's why…and that explains why Mikoto-san told you to give her another chance…" Sakura said in understanding. She smiled.

"I think...Rain-chan deserves another chance too…" She whispered. The two looked up at the beautiful sunset ahead of them.

**I'm gonna be the love that's gonna last  
And be the one that got your back  
And nothing ever that bad**

**That we would be together  
And we both made a mistake  
And something never wished we made  
But we will be okay if we just stay together  
**

Little did they know a certain girl with black hair was hiding behind a bush, very happy and grateful that Sakura had defended her.

**A/N: Thank you for all the nice reviews!!! ….BUT…I'M SAD!!! TT.TT**

**Well, I got at least 32 reviews for the first chapter, then all of a sudden, the second chapter only got about 12 reviews…BOO HOO. So, please review! Make me a happy person!**

**I would like to thank slavetothekeyboard for being my beta! **

**And that new character named "Rain" is xxItachi's Angelxx's character. I promised to put her in one of my stories. I hope you liked how your character came out so far, xxItachi's Angelxx. You're not his girlfriend though...YET, haha.**

**Well, here's the reviewer's corner for the second chapter:**

**Thank you to Itachi-kunsOneTrueLove, UchihaBlood0110, 9081, HimeIchigoYuki, VWaterlily, Kasumii-Hime, WaterBlossom1, -RockCandyBeat-, xxItachi's Angelxx, cherry blossom petals, and xo M i M i!!!**

**I love all you guys!!!**


	4. Hide And Seek

**A/N: Hi again! I had just realized a while ago how short the last chapter was. Without all those lyrics there, the chapter just seemed so small! So, my apologies, I promise to make the next coming chapters longer! (Including this one, hehe!) **

**© NARUTO: MASASHI KISHIMOTO**

**© RED HOT: ELLEGARDEN**

**© RAIN: ****xxItachi's Angelxx**

**Chapter 4**

--

**Wake me up before you leave  
I've got an interview today  
I wanna job so don't forget to lend me  
Some for train**

I'm growing up to be a better man  
But I always fail I'm still a dirty bug  
I wanna grab the flag  
But there's always someone faster

I'm trying to live a bit seriously  
But what's on my mind is you know always girls  
Vitaminize me  
Pass me the potato chips

You know what  
When nothing's going right  
You know what  
It's like a magic thing

I got the music playing loud in my head  
I got a red hot chili blows it away  
I got the music playing loud in my head  
Turn the blinker off we go straight ahead

I'm going down like 20 limes a day  
It could be less or maybe the same as you  
And I'm floating up more than  
A million times a day

I'm trying to live a bit cautiously  
But what's on my mind is always having fun  
I know nicotine kills  
But quitting smoking kills me now

You know what  
When nothing's going right  
You know what  
It's like a magic thing

I got the music playing loud in my head  
I got a red hot chili blows it away  
I got the music playing loud in my head  
Turn the blinker off we go straight ahead

As always things won't be better  
As always no one understands  
As always I'll do anything  
As always if it makes you laugh

I'm growing up to be a better man  
But I always fail I'm still a dirty bug  
I wanna grab the flag  
But there's always someone faster

I got the music playing loud in my head  
I got a red hot chili blows it away  
I got the music playing loud in my head  
Turn the blinker off we go straight ahead

I got the music playing loud in my head  
I got a red hot chili blows it away  
I got the music playing loud in my head  
Turn the blinker off we are heading ahead

--

_Little did they know a certain girl with black hair was hiding behind a bush, very happy and grateful that Sakura had defended her._

--

**End Day 2**

The morning was bright, beautiful and very sunny. Rain stepped onto the balcony, clad in her thin, long night gown. Her long, dark and silky locks were tied up into a pony tail. She smiled up at the rising sun as it peeked through the mountains. She had a wonderful feeling that today was going to be great. Then, she heard someone knock on her door.

"Come in!" Rain yelled, not even turning around. Nothing could tear away her gaze from the rising sun, even if it were to sting her eyes.

"Rain." A deep voice echoed through her large room. A surprised look made its way to her face. She shut her eyes closed, still not turning around.

"Itachi-kun…" She replied slowly. Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her small waist. She gasped in surprise. The feeling in her heart was great. She felt like she were flying.

"…breakfast's going to be ready soon." And with that, the Uchiha let her go and left the room. Rain smiled as she twirled her hair with her index finger.

'_He's teasing me…'_

She giggled lightly as the sun rose higher.

Itachi closed the door behind him slowly, long enough to here her giggle. He smirked.

--

**Start Day 3**

"Sasuke-kun, what are the plans for today?" Sakura asked happily before taking a fork full of scrambled eggs. Sasuke took a quick swig of orange juice.

"What do you guys want?" He asked, looking towards the others. Yumi grinned as she scooted closer to the younger Uchiha.

"We can both go to someplace special." She purred as she cuddled next to him seductively. An arm separated them, holding a plate of freshly cooked rice. Yumi looked up quickly to glare at whoever had interrupted her.

"Oops, I'm sorry." Iko said in a fake tone as she stuck her tongue out. The evil blonde girl stabbed her fork into a piece of bacon.

"Hello children." A low voice said. Fugaku walked down the stairs, holding a newspaper underneath his left arm. He took the cup of coffee Iko offered him and sat himself down, sitting as far away from Sakura as he could. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as Sakura looked at his father with a worried and slightly hurt expression.

"A-ano…there's going to be a night t-t-time festival t-three days from now…we s-should attend it." Hinata suggested as she flipped through a small booklet of special upcoming dates. Naruto grinned as he slurped his ramen.

"Yay! I want to go with Hinata-chan!!" The blond chirped happily. The female Hyuuga blushed a pretty color of pink.

"I want to eat fresh ramen, buy those cool masks and watch the fireworks!!" The happy teen added.

"We should spend today shopping for kimonos! I'm going with Shika-chan to the festival!" Ino called out, clinging onto the annoyed boy.

"I'm with TenTen." Neji stated calmly as the brunette smiled. Naruto hopped up and down.

"Then that means teme is going with Sa"—

"Yumi-chan." Fugaku finished sternly. All heads turned to look at him.

"U-Uchiha-sama, I object! People should go with the person that they love!" Ino burst out from across the table.

"Yumi-chan loves Sasuke. It's a done deal." He shrugged. Yumi nodded in agreement as she scooted closer and closer to the said Uchiha. Mikoto stood up.

"Well, what about Sasuke-chan's feelings? And what about Sakura-chan?" She asked her husband furiously. Fugaku looked back at his newspaper.

"I invited Chouji and Kiba to come over. She may choose one of those two other fine men." He replied.

"Father, this isn't right." Itachi spoke up. Rain nodded beside him.

"Look, what I say goes! No one is to argue with me!" He yelled angrily. Sakura was fed up with this.

"I will argue with you! I want to go to the festival with your son! Chouji and Kiba are great guys. **Yumi** can choose one of them!" The pink-haired girl argued. She swore she saw Fugaku's eyes flash red.

Without another word, the leader of the Uchiha clan stood up and left the dining table, slamming the newspaper onto the table.

Sakura sank into her seat.

"I feel **horrible**…" She muttered. Both Sasuke and Mikoto patted her shoulder.

"You shouldn't be feeling that way. You should feel **proud**." Mikoto cheered her up.

"B…but I just shouted at your husband…" She continued moping. Mikoto sighed.

"It's fine. I yell at him too, so don't feel too bad." She replied back, smiling. Sasuke nodded.

"Besides, it was for a good reason. But don't worry. There's no way I'm going to go out with Yumi." Sasuke said the girl's name with disgust.

"Sasuke-kun!!" Yumi whined. Ino set her chopsticks down, ignoring the other annoying blonde.

"Anyways, we should get going soon. We need to buy those kimonos soon."

--

"T-this is my first time shopping for a kimono…" Sakura admitted out shyly.

"N-nani?!" Ino shrieked.

"You can't be serious! Don't tell me you've never been to a festival before!!" TenTen shouted out in surprise. Sakura hung her head long.

"Y-you've never been t-t-to one even when y-y-you were l-little?" Hinata asked. The pink-haired girl sighed, depressed. Iko patted her shoulder.

"Me and my parents were very much into social gatherings. We had tons of fun by ourselves." Sakura replied, sadly.

"Well, don't worry! This is going to be the best festival you're ever going to go to! The festivals around here are the best!" The red head shouted.

"Yup! And we're all going to help you pick out the best kimono to seduce Sasuke-san!" Rain added.

"Rain-chan, we're also going to help **you **choose a kimono to seduce I-ta-chi!" Ino winked knowingly. Rain hid her blush.

"Oh! And then we need to get you all beautiful obis…and silk fans! And decent sandals! And glamorous hair accessories!" Mikoto said, excited.

"Calm down, Uchiha-sama!" Sakura giggled. Then, the pink-haired girl gasped.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Ino asked, alarmed.

"I…I just realized that I don't have nearly enough money to pay for a kimono…" She muttered. She could just imagine herself walking around the festival wearing jeans and a plain, white tee shirt while Yumi was skipping along in a shimmering kimono, latched onto Sasuke's arm.

"Don't worry about that, Sakura-chan! I'll take care of it!" Mikoto volunteered happily. Sakura bowed down in respect. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone anymore. She felt so grateful that everyone here was so caring and kind.

"U-Uchiha-sama! I am truly grateful! I promise to wash the dishes for the rest of the vacation and"—

She continued bowing down over and over again while saying things she would do in return. But the Uchiha mother merely placed a hand on the girl's back.

"Sakura-chan, you don't owe me anything! You've already brought me so much joy!" She replied, laughing. Sakura's eyes twinkled. Mikoto could see a rare lightin the girl's eyes that she had never seen before.

"And we're here for you!" Iko cheered. The pink-haired girl's eyes continued to sparkle with joy.

Meanwhile, the boys were stuck back at home. They decided to buy their clothing tomorrow.

"I wonder how they're doing…" Neji muttered, bored. The rest of the boys sighed and groaned.

"Anyways, aren't you going to make a move on Sakura on the festival, foolish little brother?" Itachi teased. Sasuke tensed. He threatened his older brother with a balled up fist.

"W-what are you talking about, bastard?" He said loudly, the faintest shade of pink on his cheeks.

"Sure…go one and act like you don't know…" His older brother replied, flipping open a suspicious looking orange book. He was glad Rain wasn't here to pester him about how reading porn was "bad". She would always take his books away and hide them.

"Oh, like you're not going to make a move on Rain and"—

Sasuke widened his eyes.

"Is that…is that my Icha Icha book?! Give that back!!" He shouted, grabbing for the orange book in Itachi's hands. The rest of the boys merely stared at the awkward scene.

"I'm glad I don't have an older brother…" Naruto muttered.

"Uh-huh." Neji and Shikamaru nodded, continuing to watch the bickering duo.

--

"Oh my god! Sakura that looks so good on you!"

"I'm going to buy this one!"

"Hinata, you look so sweet in that!"

"Ooh, try on this cute hairclip!!"

"Eh? This kimono is too tight!"

"Haha, you're fat!!"

"Oh my fucking god, those shoes are definitely mine!"

"Look how cute that obi is!"

"TenTen, you look HOT!"

"Ino, try on that one instead…"

"Rain, Itachi is going to fall head over heels for you."

"Iko, buy it! Buy it now!"

The trip was pretty much filled with screaming, shouting, ooh-ing, awe-ing and lots of other things. Finally, the girls arrived back home. They set their shopping bags down and went into the living room.

The boys were sitting down, bored, and flicking through every TV channel.

"Uh…hello?" Ino said, waving a hand in Shikamaru's face. He sighed. "What?"

"Are you guys okay? You seem a little…bored…" Sakura muttered. Sasuke turned to look at her.

"A little?" He asked sarcastically. She blushed.

"I mean…a lot…" She corrected herself.

"Hey, let's play hide and seek!" Kiba shouted, waving at them. Beside him, was Chouji.

They all stared at the duo silently, registering what was going on. Kiba anime sweat dropped.

--

"Oh, now I remember! Fugaku-sama said he had invited Kiba and Chouji!!" Sakura said in a delighted tone. It was nice to have two more people join them for the fun. Like they say, the more the merrier.

"So…how about that hide and seek? There's pretty much nothing else to do right now. And I don't think you guys wanna go outside and spend money." Kiba repeated. The group exchanged glances, then shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" Sasuke muttered carelessly. The dog boy grinned as Akamaru, who was on top of his head, barked playfully.

"Okay, but the winner gets to choose whoever he/she wants to kiss…" He added slyly, glancing at Hinata. Naruto gritted his teeth, sensing Kiba's suggestive manner and tone.

Sakura looked at Yumi and saw that she was blushing and grinning in the young Uchiha's direction. She bit her lip. Yumi looked so…determined.

"Okay, let's do this!!" The blond yelled.

They all went outside.

"Okay…rock, paper, scissors!" They all yelled out loudly, save some people. After many rounds of that small game, Naruto was declared "it".

He whined.

"I don't want to be it!!" He complained. Ino sighed.

"Oh, well. Just deal with it." She replied back, smacking the top of his head.

"Okay, Naruto, count to 100." Shikamaru interrupted.

"Fine…" The blond sulked. He turned around and began counting. "1…2…3…4…"

The rest of the group scurried off, except Sakura, who was currently in deep thought.

'_Yumi-san is so determined to win Sasuke's kiss…what if she actually wins…? What if Sasuke-kun ends up falling for her…? I'm scared I'll lose him, even though we're not officially together…I'm scared…'_

The pink-haired girl was snapped out of her thoughts when someone had grabbed her hand. She whipped her head up to see Sasuke. "C'mon!" The two began running and looking for a hiding spot. She smiled.

'_But…I'm still a bit scared…'_

"98…99…100! Ready or not, here I come!!" Naruto yelled out at the top of his lungs. Everyone heard him. They all remained silent.

--

Chouji sat down behind a large bush, munching as quietly as he could on his precious chips. But…not quietly enough…Naruto walked slowly around the bush, careful not to step on any branches. He spotted Chouji in an instant, thanks to the sound of his chips.

"Found you!!" Naruto yelled, pointing at him. Chouji sighed as he stood up.

"Damn." He started walking towards the porch of the summer home.

"Who were you planning on kissing anyways?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Uh…my chips." He replied, smiling a little. The blond sweat dropped.

Hinata also hid behind a bush. She sat down, hugging her knees and breathing faintly. Then, she saw that a spider was crawling up her arm. She closed her eyes and wanted to squeal.

"Go away…spider-san…go away, please…" She whispered silently. Hinata opened her eyes up again and saw a hand rise up and…flick the spider away. She looked up and saw Naruto, grinning stupidly at her. She blushed a light shade of red.

"Well, I found you…I guess that means we can't kiss…" Naruto realized. Hinata looked down at the floor, gathering some courage to do something she had never done before.

"And that damned Kiba wants to kiss you…but don't worry, I'll protect your kiss! I'll"—

He was suddenly cut off when Hinata sat up on her knees, and placed a kiss upon his lips. He widened his eyes, then moved forward and sank more into the kiss. He gently pushed her against a tree and wrapped his hands around her waist.

"Ahem, there's still a game going on, Naruto!" TenTen yelled from the high branch of a nearby tree. Hinata quickly fell back with a cute blush on her cheeks. She stood up shyly and scurried off to the porch. Naruto glared up at the brunette.

"You're out." He stuck his tongue out as he pointed in the direction of the porch. The brunette sighed heavily, jumping down effortlessly from her tree and going off to follow Hinata.

"Well, it's better than sitting up there and watching you two make out…"

--

Ino ran around. She still hadn't found a decent hiding spot. Suddenly, she saw a box and ran towards it. Lifting up the covers of the box, she jumped inside…and landed on something soft. It said, "OUCH!"

"Um…who's there?" The blonde asked awkwardly after shutting close the covers of the box.

"Shikamaru, you idiot." A lazy voice replied. He groaned as he recovered from Ino's attack.

"Move, this box is so small…" Ino muttered, pushing him.

"Go find a better hiding spot." Shikamaru replied rudely.

"But Naruto might find me…he already counted to 100…" She whispered back. He sighed.

"Wait, who do you plan on kissing?" He asked. Ino blushed in the dark.

"You, of course! I mean, we **are **going out!" She hissed.

Naruto walked along the pavement with his hands in his pockets. He was whistling a small tune. He stopped whistling when he heard some very faint whispering. He could tell that the sounds were coming from a nearby box. The box was…moving.

Ino tried sitting up.

"Damn, my ass hurts like hell! New position, Shika-chan!" She said, moving around. Shikamaru groaned.

"This position is just fine!" He replied back. Naruto cocked an eyebrow up as he neared the box.

'…_ew…hentai thoughts…'_

"See? This position is better…ah…my ass is starting to feel better…" The blonde muttered. Naruto sweat dropped. Shikamaru suddenly made a sharp move and the box came tumbling down. Ino let out a loud shriek.

"What was that for, you idiot?! Naruto must've heard that! He's probably on…his…way…here…" She trailed off when she saw him right in front of her. She smiled nervously and waved, muttering a quiet, "Hello." Naruto merely let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god you two have your clothes **on**!" He yelled. The other two gave him a weird stare, before getting up and proceeding to the porch together. Naruto smiled to himself and ran off to go and find more people.

**Meanwhile…**

"S-Sasuke-kun…what if we fall off?" Sakura asked, clutching to him tightly. The two were currently up on the highest branch they could get up to on a big tree. He pulled her closer to him.

"I promise I won't let you fall." He murmured back in reply. The pink-haired girl nervously looked down at the floor. They were so high up in the tree. It was silent for a few moments. The two were unaware that Naruto had just spotted them and was slowly making his way up closer to them, branch by branch.

"Sasuke-kun…would you…ever fall for Yumi-san?" Sakura asked shyly. Sasuke looked at her with the weirdest of expressions.

"No…what makes you think that?" He asked. She blushed. She felt a lot like Hinata right now.

"Well…she's way more determined…and she can stand up for herself. I need to depend on other people for help and protection. And she's so beautiful…" She stopped when Sasuke put his index finger on her rosy pink lips. "Shh."

Naruto stopped climbing the branches, fearing that he had been spotted.

"There's no way I'm falling for her." Sasuke muttered. Naruto grinned and continued climbing.

"I like your type better. You're innocent, cute, adorable, sweet, very caring…and dense, but that's what makes you…you." The young Uchiha finished. Sakura let out a soft giggle.

"You're very different from the first time I met you…" She told him. She swore she saw a tint of pink light up on his pale cheeks.

"W-well, people change." He replied. The two sat there together, silently…arm-in-arm…

Then, Sasuke slowly inched closer so her, and locked his lips with hers. The kiss was soft and short, but it was very sweet. As they parted, Sakura smiled up at him.

"SAKURA AND TEME SITTING IN A TREE!! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!! FISRT COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MARRIAGE, THEN COMES BABBIES IN A"—

Sasuke coolly whacked Naruto in the ribs, causing the poor guy to fall from that tall branch and onto the cold, hard floor.

"N-Naruto…?!" Sakura shouted in a worried tone.

"F-found you…!" Sasuke and Sakura heard him shout from below. Sasuke slapped his forehead as he shook his head.

--

After dueling with an angry Yumi and a pissed off Kiba, Naruto finally found everyone. The last person that was found was Itachi. He was resting on the roof of the summer home. He stood there, with a smug smirk on his face.

"Well, Itachi, go on and choose who you want to kiss." Naruto said. Everyone could see that Rain was blushing prettily. Itachi looked deep in thought as he scratched his chin.

"Well…since everyone else except Iko and Rain has a man…" He started. Yumi was fuming nearby at the thought that she wasn't even mentioned.

'_Oh, right! I have Sasuke-kun!!'_ Yumi thought to herself, smiling.

Itachi took in a deep breath as they air was filled with suspense.

"I'll go with Iko-chan." He finished. Everyone looked at him with blank expressions. Rain had her head hung low, disappointed. Iko had a disgusted looked on her face. She **did not** want to kiss someone way older than her. (Even though their ages aren't THAT far apart).

"Hehe, just kidding! Of course I'll kiss Rain!" Itachi joked around. Rain walked up to him and smacked him.

"You idiot! I thought you were really going to kiss someone else!!" She whined. He faked a puppy dog face. "So…I'm not getting a kiss?" Rain just sighed.

"But you have to be serious." She told him strictly. He didn't waste his time.

Itachi grabbed her shoulders and crashed his lips onto hers. She returned the kiss in an instant. They rest of the group waited…30 seconds…one minute…two minutes…

"Damn, let's just leave them." Sasuke finally said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he began walking away. The remaining people exchanged looks, looked at the kissing couple and finally left the two alone.

--

Sakura landed onto her bed softly. She straightened out her beautiful, long white night gown and flipped her pillow over. She took something out from under it. It was a sparkly pink diary. Grabbing a mechanical pencil, she opened up her diary and placed the lead gingerly at the paper.

_Today was so much fun! I went shopping with the rest of the girls for clothing and accessories for the festival that's coming up in three days. Mikoto-sama insisted on buying everything for me though…_

_Anyways, Kiba and Chouji showed up! Everyone was so surprised! Then, Kiba-kun suggested that we play hide and seek. It was tons of fun! Sasuke-kun and I KISSED!! _

_Also, Rain kissed Itachi-kun!! It was so sweet!!_

The pink-haired girl smiled to herself gently as she hid her diary back underneath her lacy pillow. Then, she held Foo Foo (the bunny that Sasuke had bought her at the mall). and closed her eyes. Five minutes later, she began shifting around the bed, trying to find a comfortable spot.

She shifted and moved around every five minutes. She just couldn't get any sleep! She was so excited for what tomorrow might bring. Deciding that there was no possible way for her to fall asleep, she got up with Foo Foo and proceeded to Sasuke's room. He always knew a way to make her fall asleep.

--

Sasuke paced around his room, in deep thought. He knew that inside, Sakura was slowly, but surely…breaking. He could feel it from the kiss they had shared today.

He knew that she felt that he would finally succumb to Yumi's ways, but it was just impossible. Sasuke wanted to make it up to her…and make her feel more secure…but he didn't know how. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in." He said. Sasuke was nearly surprised when he saw Sakura shyly enter the room. He could see the bunny he had bought for her was firmly in her grip.

"Yo. What's up?" He asked casually as he sat down on the bed. She slowly walked up to him and sat down next to him on the bed.

"I…I can't sleep…" She muttered in reply, her grip on the stuffed bunny growing tighter.

"Why not?" The raven-haired teen asked curiously. She bit her lip, then looked up at him with a big smile.

"I'm so excited for what adventures tomorrow might bring!" Sakura replied in a very happy tone.

"So…can you sing me a song so I can get to sleep…?" She asked, nervously. He looked at her, dumbstruck.

"A-are you freaking serious?" He gaped at her. She grinned and nodded. "Yes! That's the only thing to get me to sleep! And you don't want me to be all tired tomorrow, do you?"

Sasuke sighed.

"Okay, let's lay down." He told her. She nodded and did as he said. She hugged Foo Foo against her chest. Sasuke found himself actually glaring at the bunny. It was pressed so tightly onto her breasts.

'_Damn lucky bunny…'_

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said, looking at him with bright emerald eyes. He looked back at her. "Oh…yeah...um…let's see…" He let out a deep breath.

_Wake me up before you leave  
I've got an interview today  
I wanna job so don't forget to lend me  
Some for train_

I'm growing up to be a better man  
But I always fail I'm still a dirty bug  
I wanna grab the flag  
But there's always someone faster

I'm trying to live a bit seriously  
But what's on my mind is you know always girls  
Vitaminize me  
Pass me the potato chips

You know what  
When nothing's going right  
You know what  
It's like a magic thing

I got the music playing loud in my head  
I got a red hot chili blows it away  
I got the music playing loud in my head  
Turn the blinker off we go straight ahead

Sasuke sang the tune slower. It would almost sound acoustic if he were playing a guitar. He smirked when he saw that she was asleep. She looked so cute. Sasuke reached out and tenderly tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Turning off the light, he laid down beside her and pulled the covers up.

'_Why does she make me feel this way…? So…gentle…I never want to hurt her feelings…'_

With that, he fell asleep.

**A/N: Sorry if I kept you waiting too long! I just have SO MUCH going on!! GR, OOC Sasuke! But I guess it can't be helped. I really enjoyed typing this chapter, though! :) **

**There were so many kisses, haha!**

"**What about me, hm?"**

"**Oh…h-hi…TenTen…" ((speaks nervously)) **

**((runs away from an angry TenTen with a kunai))**

**ANYWAYS**

**I'd like to thank the reviewers from chapter 3!! I feel so loved: (even though I didn't get much reviews, you guys still motivate me!)**

**Thanks a bunch to UchihaBlood0110, 9081, Izari-Hime, slavetothekeyboard, Kunoichi-of-the-Leaf, Itachi-kunsOneTrueLove, WaterBlossom1, xxItachi's Angelxx **(OMG! Thanks for all those compliments!! I feel so happy!!)**, VWaterlily **(Don't worry, Rain is going to be a VERY good character throughout the whole story!)**, L is 4 LOVE, darkknesses-light, xo M i M i **(Can I still have those cookies? Lol :D)**, cherry blossom petals, HimeIchigoYuki, Catwinn **(Hehe, you are forgiven! I can see you changed your name! Well actually, I've noticed that for a while now, lol)** and chocolateangel5!! You have NO IDEA how much you guys all mean to me!!**

**Sorry if I missed anyone or had any misspellings!!**

**I'd also like to thank my beta, slavetothekeyboard!!**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Again, I apologize for that short chapter before! I hope this chapter made it up to you guys! PLEASE REVIEW!! :) **


	5. Feelings

**A/N: Konichiwa!! I just wanted to say: I'M SORRY TO ALL YOU NEJITEN FANS!! I know I haven't put too much of them in my story, but that's only because I don't focus too much on them. I'm not much of a NejiTen fan. I'm just really sorry and I promise to make it up to you guys! **

**By the way, be prepared for an OOC and SLIGHTLY horny Sasuke!!**

_**(((OMEGA IMPORTANT)))**_**: As I reread this chapter, I realized that I had made a HUGE mistake. The festival was supposed to be ****tomorrow**** night, but I accidentally made it ****the same day as when the boys bought their clothes****. I was too lazy to change it, so please bear with me. **

**By the way, if you check out my profile, there's a Rich Boy, Poor Heart Soundtrack there. Just click on the links and you can listen to the songs I chose for this story. Enjoy!**

**© NARUTO: MASASHI KISHIMOTO**

**© LI XIANG QING REN**** ((ENGLISH TRANSLATION)): RAINE YANG**

**© RAIN: ****xxItachi's Angelxx**** ()**

**Chapter 5**

--

**Dressing up nicely, I looked at the watch anxiously  
****My heart was beating fast as the time approached  
****This is my first date with you**

**The golden ray of sunlight poured on the sidewalk  
I've changed a new lipstick and set my hair  
For you to see the goodness in me**

**I like the confidence you have when you walk  
Your attentive look when you speak  
Your gentle expression and your innocent smile  
I believe I can never find a better person than you  
How is your ideal lover in your heart?  
Will I be qualified?**

**I really wanna know what kind of girls can get your perfect marks  
My dear, please let me play a more important role in your life  
I wanna ask, my dear, when you prepare to enhance the relationship  
From friends to couple, Can you  
Please tell me your benchmark, so that I won't wait in vain**

**I heard the sound of the footsteps of time**

**You nodded to me from the opposite street**

**And walked towards me slowly**

**Everything was like a dream**

--

_Sasuke sang the tune slower. It would almost sound acoustic if he were playing a guitar. He smirked when he saw that she was asleep. She looked so cute. Sasuke reached out and tenderly tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Turning off the light, he laid down beside her and pulled the covers up._

'_Why does she make me feel this way…? So…gentle…I never want to hurt her feelings…'_

_With that, he fell asleep._

**End Day 3**

"KNOCK!! KNOCK!!"

"Sasu-chan, wakey, wakey"—

Mikoto happily opened the door. Her loud cheering stopped when she saw that there was another figure sleeping with her son. Sakura. Mikoto smiled softly. She walked back to the door and quietly closed it on her way out.

'_I guess I'll wake them both up later.'_

**Start Day 4**

A few minutes after she had left, Sasuke groaned as he sat up on the bed. He looked down at Sakura and smirked as he tucked her pink hair behind her ear. His eyes trailed around her until he looked at the bunny that she was holding tightly. She always seemed to savor everything.

He slowly reached down and stroked her pink locks gently. Suddenly, the girl's emerald eyes fluttered open. Sasuke's hand flinched before withdrawing back. Sakura also sat up and stretched her arms, letting out an adorable yawn.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" She chirped. If any other boy besides him had woken up to find a cute girl on his bed, that boy would immediately pounce on her and have sex with her like there was no tomorrow. But Sasuke would never want to destroy her purity…well…at least not right now.

"Mm…don't you have to go buy your clothing for tonight?" Sakura asked curiously. He nodded sleepily. His eyes looked drowsy. She let out a cute giggle.

"You're so kawaii in the morning." She told him, poking his nose. He sighed and let out a big yawn.

"Well…let's go get ready for breakfast…" Sasuke muttered. They each took turns going to the bathroom. Finally, after getting refreshed, they exited Sasuke's room. But they went out at the wrong time. Fugaku was standing right in front of the room, as if he were about to knock. Enraged, he looked at Sasuke, then shifted over to Sakura.

Angrily, Fugaku grabbed Sakura's wrist and threw her onto the floor. She yelped lightly. Sasuke widened his eyes as he ran towards his father.

"What the fuck are you doing to her?!" Sasuke yelled.

"Fuck? Who told you that you could use that word when speaking to your own father?" He asked. Sakura stood up slowly, but was slapped back to the ground by the old Uchiha. Itachi exited his own room, which was right next to Sasuke's. He was whistling a calm tune, until he saw Sakura on the floor and his father right above her, with an arm high in the air, threatening to smack her again. He jogged towards the scene as he held his father back.

"Father, this isn't the right way to solve things!!" He shouted.

"No."

All eyes turned to look at Sakura. She was now standing. Her wrist was bruised and her cheek was red from Fugaku's blow.

"H…hit me with your best shot." She said to the Uchiha, bowing down. Sasuke walked towards her.

"What the hell are you saying?" He asked. She looked up and smiled at him. Her eyes were growing watery.

"If it means I can still stay with Sasuke-kun, please, hit me with all you've got." The pink-haired girl said while sobbing a little. Itachi suddenly felt his father calm down in his grasp. Fugaku gently pushed Itachi away as he made his way to the stairs. He didn't say anything else. As he passed Sakura, she felt a strange aura.

"That's some killer bruise." Itachi muttered, examining Sakura's injured wrist.

"Sakura, don't ever endanger yourself like that ever again." Sasuke told her, caressing her aching cheek gently. "But…I…"

"I don't want to be separated from Sasuke-kun…" Sakura told him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. _'I'm just…scared of separation…of Yumi's determination…of everything…'_

She gasped when she was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by Sasuke. Itachi somehow found a way to get away from the scene unnoticed. The couple just stood there, hugging.

--

"Finally you two get here!! Where were you two?" Ino asked with her hands on her hips. Naruto looked curiously at Sakura.

"Sakura-chan, why is your cheek so red?" The blond asked. Fugaku, who was currently seated at the table, shifted in his seat a bit. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "It's nothing." The Uchiha answered for Sakura.

"Well, you two are lucky we kept some food hot for you." Mikoto said, placing two plates on the table. Sakura ate silently as everyone laughed and talked about how tomorrow might turn out. Sasuke put his hand on hers and looked at her with the 'are-you-okay' look. She merely smiled and nodded.

"Uchiha, hurry up, we have to buy our clothing for tomorrow." Neji said as he walked up the stairs. Sasuke nodded, stuffed the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and jogged up the stairs to change. Sakura looked down at her half finished breakfast.

"Sakura, is something wrong?" TenTen asked, also beginning to stare at the plate.

"Y-yes…you didn't eat much. D-does it t-taste bad…I c-c-can put more s-salt into the scrambled e-eggs if you w-want…" Hinata suggested. The pink-haired girl shook her head. Ino gently looked at her wrist.

"Forehead, what the hell happened to your wrist?! Did someone hurt you?" Ino asked, her eyes flaring. Fugaku held his newspaper higher into the air.

"N-no, I just…got it stuck in something…" Sakura replied with a reassuring smile. Fugaku slowly stood up and left to go upstairs. TenTen rose an eyebrow.

"Stuck in something? Like what?" She questioned. The pink-haired girl bit her lip nervously, not knowing what to say.

"Really…it's nothing to worry about." She answered back meekly.

--

Sasuke walked coolly through the hallways of the summer home with his hands in his pocket. He was dressed in slightly torn, baggy jeans, a black shirt and a yellow sweater with the sleeves pulled up. He was also wearing white and red Nike's.

'_Sakura…I hope she'll be okay…'_

Sasuke had tiny flashbacks in his head about this morning. He knew Sakura cared a lot about him, but he didn't want her to get hurt just because of him.

"_If it means I can still stay with Sasuke-kun, please, hit me with all you've got."_

The young Uchiha sighed as he kicked lazily at the ground.

He stopped walking when he saw his father also walking. Sasuke scoffed and was about to walk passed his father, when he was suddenly shoved into a nearby closet.

"Father?! Open the god damn door!!" Sasuke yelled. Fugaku didn't obey.

"It would be suspicious if I locked Sakura in a closet, so I decided to lock you in it instead. I'll let you out **after **the festival." He told him. Sasuke pounded on the door with hard fists. "You can't do this!" He shouted angrily, pounding harder. There wasn't any response. His father had left him already. **(A/N: What a mean daddy!)**

Sasuke was now hitting the door softly. Anyone hardly walked through these hallways. What would he do? What **could **he do?

'_**After **__the festival…Sakura…'_

He hit the door one last time before sitting down and making fists in his hair from frustration.

--

"Where's teme?" Naruto asked, looking around. The dobe, Shikamaru, Itachi, Kiba, Chouji and Neji were waiting at the front door, bored. Fugaku came back downstairs.

"He said he didn't want to go to the festival anymore. You seven may go on ahead." He spoke in a calm tone. Itachi cocked up an eyebrow.

"What? Is this some joke?" He asked his father. Neji nodded with his arms crossed.

"True. Sasuke isn't the type to just ditch without a good reason." He pointed out.

"And he wouldn't want to abandon Sakura. I know he's a bastard, but he's not nearly that cold." Naruto said. Chouji shrugged.

"Maybe…he's planning something?" He suggested as he poured some chips into his mouth. "I don't know…" Kiba muttered. Akamaru merely barked.

"Well…if he's not coming down…I guess we should just go on ahead." Neji said to the rest of the group. They all looked at the stairs, hoping he would come down any second. Then, they all sighed and left one by one through the front door.

Fugaku hid a smirk. Sakura appeared and looked at nothing with a worried expression.

'_Sasuke-kun…doesn't want to go…?'_

Sakura's fear had only grown stronger. She ran upstairs, hoping that he was in his room. Once she was standing in front of the door, she knocked lightly. No one answered.

"Sasuke-kun? Are you there?" She asked, knocking even more. She slowly opened the door. Sasuke was no where in sight. Sakura walked around, exploring his room quietly. It was plain. He didn't change the room at all. It was just like how it was ever since they got here.

Sakura laid down on the bed sadly. She realized she had left Foo Foo here. She picked him up, snuggled close to him and silently left the room.

--

"I wonder, munch, why Sasuke didn't want to, crunch, go to the festival all of a, munch, sudden…" Chouji said while snacking on a bag of BBQ flavored potato chips.

"Well, the Uchiha sure has his ways." Neji pointed out. Shikamaru shrugged.

"Calm down, he probably just has some clever trick up his sleeve." He told them. Kiba scratched the back of his head as Akamaru barked.

"I don't know…I don't think he would fool around and make Sakura feel bad like that." He replied. As they all talked with one another, Itachi was stroking his chin, thinking carefully on why Sasuke didn't want to go to the festival all of a sudden. It's true that he wouldn't purposely hurt Sakura's feelings, even if it were some clever plan.

"Anyways, Neji, you're going to flirt with TenTen tomorrow night, aren't you?" Naruto asked with a very wide grin. Neji had a small tint of pink on his cheeks.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." He answered back, crossing his arms stubbornly. "But you better stay away from Hinata." The coffee-haired boy added. Kiba and Naruto just scoffed.

"Hey, did you find a date yet, Chouji?" Kiba asked the chubby teen. He blushed as he scratched the back of his head.

"W-well, there's that Iko girl…she seems like a nice cook." He admitted. The rest of the boys sweat-dropped.

'_He only likes her because she's a good cook…'_

--

The boys returned shortly, each holding a bag with a men's kimono. They went to their rooms to change, since they were going to leave in two hours. However, Itachi went straight to Sakura, who was sitting gloomily on the couch, staring blankly at nothing.

"Hey, did Sasuke say anything to you yet?" Itachi asked. Sakura looked up at him.

"O-oh, hello…um…actually, I haven't seen him ever since breakfast…Itachi-kun, I'm a bit worried…" She told him. He widened his eyes a bit.

"Huh? Is that so? Well, let's go upstairs and change now."

--

Sasuke sat on a box, angrily hitting the wall again. He was hoping someone would just find him. He looked down at his watch.

'_Damn…only two hours until the festival…'_

He sighed as he leaned against the wall, thinking hard. He knew it…there was no way someone was going to find him now. Everyone else would be too busy getting dressed and whatnot. Sasuke wanted to know exactly why his father despised Sakura so much though. There had to be a good reason. His father would never hate someone for no reason.

**Dressing up nicely, I looked at the watch anxiously**

**My heart was beating fast as the time approached**

**This is my first date with you**

**The golden ray of sunlight poured on the sidewalk  
I've changed a new lipstick and set my hair  
For you to see the goodness in me**

Sakura gloomily stuck some black chopsticks into her hair, which was currently tied in a bun. Some of her pink bangs hung by her cheeks. She adjusted her obi and checked herself in the mirror. She wanted him to be with her right now.

'_Sasuke-kun…'_

"Hey, forehead, are you sure you don't want any make-up?" Ino asked, dabbing some very light blush onto her cheeks. Hinata was applying some eyeliner as TenTen only put some lip gloss on. Raine was doing her make-up slowly and carefully.

Sakura looked up and shook her head. "I don't want any…" She muttered sadly. TenTen frowned.

"Sak, don't worry! He won't just leave you hanging!" The brunette said with confidence. Rain nodded as she wiped off some dark make-up that had somehow made its way to her neck. "That's right!"

The pink-haired ninja slowly formed a smile with her lips. Yumi scoffed as she applied a lot of make-up on her face. Iko glared at the slutty blonde.

Sakura's kimono was a very light shade of green. Small printed roses and birds decorated the silk. Her obi was white. Her hair was in a bun, with chopsticks and small cherry blossom flowers.

Ino's kimono was very detailed. It was purple and was printed with many, many objects. Her obi was cream colored and was decorated with doves. Her hair was tied into two low ponytails, tied with bright purple elastic bands and white flowers.

Hinata was wearing a very delicate kimono. It was a pure white, with some stripes of red. Her obi had little narutos (the food) all over it. **(A/N: I couldn't help myself, hehe) **The female Hyuuga's hair was left alone, except for two white hair clips.

Raine had a dark blue kimono with white speckles. Her obi was white and very, very soft. Her long, dark hair was tied into a delicate bun with two white chopsticks and little neko hair clips. She was wearing a necklace with a charm shaped like a rain drop.

TenTen had a dark green kimono and was decorated with little blue puddles, white doves and pink flowers. Her obi was light green and had flowers all over it. TenTen finally put her hair down. She was wearing a green headband made of silk.

Iko's kimono was very simple. It was solid periwinkle. The obi was red, to match her hair. Her hair was let down and straightened.

Yumi's kimono was…as much as anyone would hate to admit it, her kimono actually looked nice. It was silver with dazzling yellow stars here and there. Her obi was black. Her blonde locks were curled and tied into two low ponytails.

Mikoto entered the room with a huge smile. She was in a beautiful red kimono with sparkles and dazzling black dragons. Her obi was black and was designed with blue spots. Her hair was perfectly straightened and had small little flowers here and there.

"Mikoto-sama! Y-you look beautiful!!" Sakura exclaimed, surprised. Mikoto grinned as she flashed a peace sign. "Thank you! You girls all look dazzling right now!" She replied. After some finishing touches, all the girls went downstairs. TenTen, Hinata, Iko, Ino and Raine blushed when they saw the men there. Sakura just smiled lightly. Yumi pouted, not seeing Sasuke anywhere.

"You girls look…good." Neji said, hiding a small blush as he glanced at TenTen. Kiba hit the Hyuuga with his elbow.

"Good? Neji, they look damn fine!" He howled, grinning. _'Especially Hinata…'_

"Hinata-channnnn!! Do you want to go with me to the festival?!" Naruto yelled happily.

**(A/N: No, not describing their men's kimonos. Use your own imagination. I'm lazy, hehe)**

Hinata blushed and shyly nodded. Ino gently nudged the two closer together, before waltzing over to Shikamaru.

"You're…beautiful." He commented her, sighing. She squealed and hugged him tightly. Chouji wasn't munching on his chips. He was glancing at Iko. Finally deciding that he should just get this over with, he walked up to her.

"Iko…do you…?" He gulped and trailed off, suddenly feeling immobilized. But Iko giggled and put a finger on his lips.

"Of course I'll go with you!" She said. Chouji let out a relived sigh and asked her if she wanted to share some potato chips with him. Sakura smiled warmly at the couples.

"Uh…Sakura?" Kiba poked her shoulder from behind. She turned around. "Yes?"

"Um…since Hinata is already taken…would you…?" He started. Sakura panicked.

'_He's going to ask me out…! B-but…Sasuke-kun…!'_

"Go with me to the festival…?" He finished, smiling. Sakura pointed her fingers together. She exhaled and looked up at him with the biggest smile that she could muster.

"Sure!" She chirped. But inside, her heart was breaking. Yumi crossed her arms as she scoffed lightly. Rain looked around, searching for Itachi. She frowned lightly.

'_Don't tell me he didn't want to come too…'_

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ita-chan will be late, so calm down Rain." Mikoto said, grinning. Rain nodded as she smiled. Fugaku came down in a red, black and blue men's kimono.

"Well, let's go." He told them all. One by one, they exited the house and went on the huge limo.

--

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Sasuke shouted repeatedly. He looked at his watch. That's it. They were gone. Then, as if it were a miracle, the door opened. Itachi popped his curious head it. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke jumped up as he dashed out of the closet.

"W-what are you still doing here?" He asked, pointing at his older borther's attire. Itachi smirked.

"I had a feeling you were still around this house somewhere." He replied, poking his brother's forehead. Sasuke rubbed his forehead, displeased. Then, he remembered what he was supposed to do.

"Sakura!" He yelled. He ran as fast as he could, down the steps and out the front door. Itachi sighed. Taking out an orange book, he slowly followed him.

Sasuke was still in his street clothes, but he didn't have time to change **or **buy a kimono. Right now, the only person on his mind was…Sakura. He ran straight through the streets as if he were unaware of the dashing cars.

Finally, after fighting off many fan girls, Sasuke arrived at the festival. His hair was quite messy from the wind that had blown through it while he was running. He panted, unzipping his yellow sweater. As he walked through the festival, many people stared at him…and it wasn't because he was the "Sexy Uchiha Sasuke". He was the only one without a kimono.

The young Uchiha glanced around wildly, searching for a mop of pink. But that was hard, since many people were holding sticks of cotton candy.

'_This…may take a while…'_

--

"Uwah! Kiba-kun, I never knew you were so good with those claw grabbing games!!" Sakura said in awe. He flashed her a grin as he handed her a small puppy he had fished out of the game. The pink-haired girl hesitantly took it.

"T-thank you." She said with a pleasant smile. Kiba was a nice guy to be around…but she wanted to be around Sasuke. Akamaru barked happily.

**I like the confidence you have when you walk**

**Your attentive look when you speak  
Your gentle expression and your innocent smile  
I believe I can never find a better person than you  
How is your ideal lover in your heart?  
Will I be qualified?**

Everyone else was also playing games. Naruto and Hinata, however, were at the ramen stand. Neji and TenTen competed against each other by seeing who could pop the most balloons with a dart. Ino and Shikamaru were throwing balls at towers of plastic. Yumi was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed. Iko and Chouji were playing a game in which you can win food as a prize. Rain was happily strolling around the flower garden with Mikoto. Fugaku was silently sitting at a table, smiling to himself smugly. His smile disappeared when he saw Itachi walking towards him with an angry expression.

Itachi slammed his fists on the top of the table. He muttered curses.

"How can you just lock your own son in a tiny closet?!" He shouted furiously. Fugaku cleared his throat.

"As long as it keeps Sakura away from him, I don't care." He replied. Itachi glared daggers at him.

"If pushing Sasuke off a building keeps them away from each other, will that make you happy?!" He asked angrily. Fugaku was silent. Then, after a moment of silence, he spoke.

"Sakura's father, Kimoto, was a fool. We were both business partners. We had a chance to earn thousands, maybe even millions. But the fool threw that all away by going to Tokyo to see his newly born daughter. It's all that girl's fault. It was probably even her fault that her parents died." He explained.

"There's nothing **wrong **with seeing your own daughter. If that's what he wanted to do, then that's his own choice. And don't say that about Sakura. Besides, you already have tons of money! What more do you want?!" Itachi shouted back. Fugaku was left in thought as his son stormed off to go find Rain.

'_What…what more __**do **__I want…?'_

"Hehe, Sakura-chan, today turned out pretty good! I'm glad I went with you!!" Kiba said, grinning before pulling off a puff of cotton candy and eating it. "Want some?"

Sakura nodded as she took some. She giggled lightly.

"The cotton candy here is so delicious and delicate." She said. She took some more and gave some to Akamaru. **(Yeah, I don't know if that's safe, but Akamaru's a NINJA dog…) **Then, she frowned. She was being such a bad friend. She was with Kiba, but the whole time…she was thinking only of Sasuke.

**I really wanna know what kind of girls can get your perfect marks  
My dear, please let me play a more important role in your life  
I wanna ask, my dear, when you prepare to enhance the relationship  
From friends to couple, Can you  
Please tell me your benchmark, so that I won't wait in vain**

Sasuke finally spotted Sakura. He widened his eyes as he tried running towards her, but a line of elementary students slowed him down.

"Sakura!" He yelled.

Hearing someone call her name, she turned her head and was surprised to see Sasuke there. Her eyes instantly grew watery.

**I heard the sound of the footsteps of time**

**You nodded to me from the opposite street**

**And walked towards me slowly**

**Everything was like a dream**

Finally, after the line of students passed by, he walked towards her, completely ignoring Kiba. Immediately, Sakura jumped up and hugged him.

"You look beautiful." He whispered into her ear. Sensing that the two needed some private time, Kiba sighed and smiled as he began walking away.

"I…I thought you wouldn't show up…" Sakura said truthfully.

"My...father locked me up in a closet…he doesn't want me to see you…at all." Sasuke told her. A worried expression made its way onto her face. He smirked at her.

"It's nothing to be too worried about. I won't listen to him if it means not being able to love you." The Uchiha said. She blushed a pretty shade of pink. She shyly went on her tip toes and crushed her lips on his. They kissed for a while…until some random guy yelled, "Get a room!"

Sasuke stopped to glare at whoever had said that. He grabbed Sakura's wrist and tried to get into a less crowded spot. The two found a nice, empty corner. He backed her up against a wall and kissed her. They didn't have a care in the world.

--

"Rain!" Itachi yelled. Rain turned around and instantly blushed when she saw Itachi in such formal clothes. He looked so hot. Mikoto pushed the shy Rain towards his direction. Itachi waited. He could tell that Rain was asking his mother something, but Mikoto simply pushed her again.

She finally walked to him.

"Um…you…you look nice…" She whispered. Itachi smirked.

"You're not very good when it comes to complimenting people, are you?" He asked. She took this time to send him a light glare.

"It's kind of embarrassing!" She blushed. Itachi cupped her chin as he stared into her dark colored eyes.

"Well, I think you look gorgeous." He said, right before kissing her slowly.

--

Sasuke and Sakura parted, both panting for air. She looked up at him with a tired smile. Then, her phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered it, still panting a bit. Ino cocked an eyebrow up from the other line.

"Forehead…why do you sound so…tired?" She asked curiously.

"Um…Sasuke-kun just got here." Sakura replied happily.

"Ah…I see…" Ino said, grinning. The pink-haired girl blushed.

"H-hey!"

"Anyways, meet us at the picnic table, 'kay? The fireworks are starting soon." The blonde told her. With that, the two girls hung up.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, we need to get to the picnic tables since the fireworks are going to start soo"—

She was cut off short when Sasuke suddenly kissed her open mouth.

"They can wait a few more minutes…" He mumbled into her mouth. She replied by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeper.

--

Neji checked his watch.

"Damn, where's Ino, Shikamaru and Sakura? They're going to be late." He said while putting an arm around TenTen. Everyone was sitting on a towel in the grass, waiting patiently for the fireworks to start.

"Well, knowing Ino and Shikamaru, they're probably on a bed right now. I just hope Sakura's with them…" The brunette replied. Neji cocked up an eyebrow.

"A threesome?" He questioned. TenTen resisted the urge to smack him. "NO!"

"Ne ne, Hinata-chan! Do you want to sit on my lap?" Naruto asked, grinning. Hinata blushed shyly.

"A-ano…" Before she could reply, Naruto picked her up and sat her on his lap. She nearly fainted. Rain giggled lightly. She let out a small yelp though when Itachi placed her on his lap. He flashed her a peace sign. She simply sighed and smiled back.

Iko and Chouji were currently sharing a candy lollipop. Chouji took this time to take out a slip of paper that Naruto had given him.

"Girl, is it hot in here or is it just you?" He read off the paper slowly. The red head looked at him with a confused expression. Chouji decided to read the next one.

"Lick me like a lollipop." He read. Iko sighed as she snatched the paper out of his hands. She ripped it into small pieces.

"Don't accept anything from Naruto." She told him, giving him a light peck on the cheek. He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

"Hey guys!" Ino greeted. She was latched onto Shikamaru's arm.

"Eh? Where's Sakura?!" TenTen asked.

"Huh? Oh, she's with Sasuke!" She chirped back in reply. TenTen let out a relieved sigh along with some other people. Then, they all realized something.

"EH?! SASUKE'S HERE?!" They all yelled in unison, save some people. Shikamaru sighed muttering a "troublesome". Soon, the pink-haired girl and the young Uchiha showed up. Everyone stared at Sasuke's attire.

"I didn't have any time to dress." He said.

"OH…" They all nodded in understanding.

"Oi, teme, where were you?" Naruto asked. Sasuke sighed.

"It doesn't really matter." Itachi answered for him while glaring at his father. Fugaku stared hard at the couple. Sakura hesitantly walked up to Fugaku.

"A-ano…Uchiha-sama…" She bowed down quickly.

"I'm sorry!" She shouted nervously.

"I…I'm disobeying you by being with your son, but I love him! I'm **happy **with him!" She finished, still bowing down. He widened his eyes. The word 'happy' hit him pretty hard for some reason.

"_Fugaku…I'm sorry for disobeying you…but right now, Risa-chan and the baby is what's most important to me." Kimoto apologized. Fugaku glared at his friend, gritting his teeth._

"_Why?! How are they more important than the chance we have right now!? We can make thousands!" He argued. Kimoto approached the door, then turned around and flashed the Uchiha a big, cheesy grin. _

"_Because…they make me __**happy**__." He replied. With that, the Haruno exited the building, leaving Fugaku speechless._

Fugaku rose his arm up. Itachi and Sasuke moved forward quickly, afraid that their father was about to hit Sakura. But to their surprise, he patted Sakura's head. The pink-haired girl looked up to see Fugaku smiling warmly at her. She widened her emerald eyes, then smiled back.

Itachi crossed his arms as he smirked. Sasuke followed suit.

'_That's father's good, solid smile…'_

"Attention! Attention! The fireworks will begin in thirty seconds! Please lay back and enjoy!" The speakers said in a pleasant voice. Sasuke and Sakura took a seat together.

"5…4…3…2…1!"

Suddenly, fireworks decorated the starry, nighttime sky. Everyone watched in awe. Sakura blushed, remembering when they had watched the fireworks last year.

She cuddled closer to Sasuke. He wrapped an arm around her, then gave her a short, soft kiss on her lips. Everyone else chose this time to kiss too. Hinata was the color of a tomato as Naruto kissed her. Ino and Shikamaru were tongue kissing passionately. Itachi and Rain were giving each other short, beautiful kisses on the neck. Neji went on far as laying TenTen on the floor. Mikoto gave Fugaku a sweet peck on the cheek.

Finally, the fireworks ended. Mikoto scurried over to her bag and took out a small packet.

"Here! Each person gets one! You can't have a festival without party poppers!" She cheered happily. Everyone took one, even the eldest male Uchiha.

Naruto had accidentally popped his right next to Ino. Her kimono flew up, revealing her slender legs and a bit of her underwear.

"I-idiot!!" She yelled, hitting him. The poor blond also got a smack from Shikamaru. Sakura giggled. She and Sasuke put their poppers high up and pulled the string. Confetti fell on their heads. They seemed to all be having a nice time.

Fugaku stretched his arms out and activated his popper. He smiled softly.

'_This whole time…I was looking for happiness…'_

--

_Bonus: Zaku Bashes Sasuke_

"Hi! I'm Zaku! You know, the 'bad' guy from the last story? You don't remember?" _Sighs and scratches back of head._

"Anyways…I was wondering why so many girls fan girl over that damn Uchiha! I mean, I became a good guy by the end of the last story, but I'm still jealous!" _Glares._

"And his name? Sasuke? What kind of name is that? It's like… 'sauce-gay'. Sauce gay? Sauce is gay?" _Laughs to self._

"Maybe that's why he likes tomatoes…because tomatoes make ketchup and ketchup is a sauce? Right? Okay, never mind…lame joke." _Sighs again and leaves._

**A/N: Hm…long enough? Ha ha. ANYWAYS, I kind of rushed this chapter, so I'm sorry if things weren't detailed enough or anything. **

**There was LOTS of kissing in this chapter, ne? I don't really like going too explicit into kissing scenes, so I just keep them simple. Sorry if I disappointed you. XD**

**Okay, I'd like to thank all the reviewers from the last chapter!! Sadly, it seems that the number of reviews get lower and lower with each chapter. Remember, if you think my skills are lacking, please tell me! I don't even care if you make fun of me! I just want to make you all happy. :)**

**Thank you to Itachi-kunsOneTrueLove, xxItachi's Angelxx, Izari-Hime, Kunoichi-of-the-Leaf, xo M i M i **(Wow, I hope the milk isn't spoiled, haha!)**, XInnerXRaX, chocolateangel5, VWaterlily, 9081, UchihaVamprincess0110 **(Cool!)**, HimeIchigoYuki, CrimsonCherryBlossom13, Zoeraine, and Catwinn!!**

**But remember, if I don't get too many reviews, I'll lose motivation and I might even discontinue the story! D: **

**ANOTHER OMEGA IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Hey guys, my beta seems to be dead and isn't replying. So, for the time being, I'll be rereading my own chapters. I think I can handle it. I posted the chapter up pretty early, ne? It usually takes at least a month. Please put the word "cookie" in your review somewhere so I know you read up to this far. Thank you.**

**OFFICIAL REVIEW COUNT:**

**CHAPTER ONE: 41 REVIEWS**

**CHAPTER TWO: 14 REVIEWS**

**CHAPTER THREE: 16 REVIEWS**

**CHAPTER FOUR: 17 REVIEWS**

**As you can see, the number of reviews from chapter one was great! But it fell down to 14. I feel bad that it's not even hitting 20 anymore. It's not that I'm crazy about reviews…it's…just…it's you guys that motivate me. Without your motivation, I would be a sad little girl, hiding in a corner. So, PLEASE REVIEW. **


	6. It's Raining

**A/N: Well, a slightly earlier update. I wanted to post this before Monday, and before my state wide testing, but there were some problems with my files. BUT I got it up eventually!! **

**OMG! 100 reviews!! I was SO happy! I thank you guys SO MUCH! You don't know how happy I am right now!!**

**© NARUTO: MASASHI KISHIMOTO**

**© MELT THE SNOW: SHAYNE WARD**

**© RAIN: xxItachi's Angelxx**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter 6**

**--**

_**Fugaku stretched his arms out and activated his popper. He smiled softly.**_

**'_This whole time…I was looking for happiness…'_**

**--**

_**Sometimes out my window  
I notice that you've been crying over him  
And I wonder why you just don't  
Kick him to the curb**_

_**Instead of giving in**_

_**You see love at first is summer time  
That's when you think that everything's fine  
No one ever thinks its gonna end  
But when things go wrong and winter comes  
You're gonna need to run to someone  
Left alone you'll just freeze up again  
But you should know  
When it gets too cold  
You're not alone  
I'll melt the snow**_

_**Some nights I can hear you  
Screaming on the phone over  
something that he did  
**_

_**And I wonder what can I do  
To make you throw him out  
so you can let me in**_

_**I'll melt the snow  
Ill melt the snow**_

_**But you should know  
When it gets too cold  
You're not alone  
I'll melt the snow  
I'll melt the snow**_

**--**

Sakura sighed on her bed happily and hung her kimono on her door knob. She tied her wet pink locks into a long ponytail and took out her diary, a feathery pen and sat down at her desk.

_Dear Diary,_

_Today was great! Sasuke-kun ended up going to the festival! We kissed... a lot…but so did everyone else. Overall, today was one of the best days of my life! _

_Sasuke's Otou-san finally accepted me! I'm so completely happy that Sasuke-kun and I get to finally be together._

She glanced around her room unconsciously for motivation and her eyes fell on the picture of her own Otou-san and Kaa-san. She frowned slightly and felt tears brimming her emerald eyes.

_Well, I have to go now! Good night Diary!_

_Sakura_

Sakura closed the pale pink book and put it back under her pillow and breathed. She tried smiling and looked out the window to see the silver moon. It almost looked like it was smiling back at her comfortingly like her Kaa-san used to.

'_Otou-san…Kaa-san…I miss you so much…'_

The pink-haired girl's smile dropped as she tried stifling her sob behind one of the sleeve of her nightgown. She wiped away some tears.

"Sakura…?"

She blinked her tears away quickly, wiped her face, and turned around; trying to make it look like she was fine.

Sasuke frowned as he walked towards her slowly. He picked up Foo Foo from her bed and held out a hand to her. She gave him a curious look as she took his hand.

"You can sleep with me tonight." He told her. Sakura looked up at him with a grateful smile. Sasuke lead her through the hall to his own bedroom. Sakura lay down on the bed with Sasuke. They both pulled up the covers as he quietly mumbled a song for her.

_**Sometimes out my window  
I notice that you've been crying over him  
And I wonder why you just don't  
Kick him to the curb**_

_**Instead of giving in**_

_**You see love at first is summer time  
That's when you think that everything's fine  
No one ever thinks its gonna end  
But when things go wrong and winter comes  
You're gonna need to run to someone  
Left alone you'll just freeze up again  
But you should know  
When it gets too cold  
You're not alone  
I'll melt the snow**_

When he was about to start the second verse, he could see that she was already asleep. Sasuke smirked as he finally closed his eyes, falling asleep next to his cherry blossom.

End Day 4

--

Start Day 5

Fugaku knocked loudly on Sasuke's door.

"Sasuke, it's time for—"

Fugaku opened the door and looked at the bed, seeing his son and Sakura sleeping together peacefully, face to face. Slowly, a tiny smile formed on his face. He slowly closed the door, leaving them alone. He turned around to see Mikoto with a surprised, yet happy, expression.

"Gaku-Chan…I'm so glad that you started liking Sakura-Chan!" She chirped, giving him a hug as he smiled larger. The slightly old couple made their way downstairs.

"Where's the teme?" Naruto asked, before stuffing his face with the usual scrambled eggs, bread and bacon. Hinata smiled lightly as she dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

"They're sleeping…together!" Mikoto yelled, thrusting her arms high up into the air. Everyone choked on their food or drinks. Neji was spitting out some orange juice by the sink.

"And his parent's are okay with that?" he muttered. TenTen was next to him, patting his back with a sweat drop.

Red started creeping onto Hinata's cheeks and Naruto widened his eyes.

"Damn! Those two don't waste any time!" Ino replied loudly, slapping her forehead.

"Er, what she means is, they're just sleeping together. They didn't do anything last night." Fugaku corrected sheepishly.

Ino and Shikamaru both let out a long sigh of relief. Neji and TenTen returned to the table relaxed. Hinata held her chest, trying to breathe slower. Naruto was chugging down some water.

Shortly, Sasuke and Sakura came down the stairs. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow up.

"Where's everyone else?" The young Uchiha asked inferring to his brother, Rain, Iko, Chouji, Yumi and Kiba.

"Itachi and Rain-Chan went out on a small outing to buy some more bread. Sadly, Kiba and Chouji had to go back already…I'll miss them…As for Iko-Chan, she's taking some time off today. It seems she caught a cold last night." Mikoto said sadly. Then, she realized she had forgotten Yumi. "Yumi! Hm…that girl is so stubborn. I have no idea where she is." She added.

Sakura bit her lip. "We should go look for her…" She suggested a bit meekly. Sasuke scoffed.

"Why? She's horribly annoying. Plus, she doesn't like you." He told her. Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah Sakura-Chan! Why do you want to help someone who hates you?" The blond asked.

"Well…I have a bed feeling…if she just disappeared all because of me…I…" she trailed off, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you look." He said. Mikoto smiled at her son's affection towards the pink-haired girl.

'_He'll do anything to ease her pain…'_

Then, she pushed them towards the dining table.

"_After_ you eat! Then you can go look for Yumi! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." She instructed. "Hm…I think I'll make some sukiyaki tonight…" She added in randomly in a quiet whisper.

Sakura smiled and nodded as she gratefully took some food and piled them onto her plate. Sasuke also got some food. Sakura seemed to be eating faster than usual. Ino sighed.

"Forehead, I know you're worried and all…but give your digestive system a break. It's going to take a long time to get all that food digested if they're just in chunks." The blonde pointed out. The pink-haired girl frowned.

"But I really want to apologize Yumi-san…" She said truthfully.

"What do you need to apologize for? Yumi is the one who needs to do the apologizing." TenTen said. Everyone else silently agreed.

"By being with Sasuke-kun she's hurt …and I feel terrible…" She replied quietly, pushing her plate away. She stood up. Sasuke stuffed the rest of his breakfast quickly into his mouth and stood up to follow her wherever she was going.

The young Uchiha followed her through the hallways, and then grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn away.

"Sakura, where do you plan on going?" He asked her, staring hard into her worried eyes.

She bit her lip. "I don't know…" She admitted.

"She could be on a plane right now for all we know. Leave her alone." He continued, his tone cold.

"Sasuke-channn!!" Yumi popped out of nowhere and hugged the Uchiha. He glared at her. The blonde looked towards Sakura direction as she stuck her tongue out.

"He's _mine_, got it?" She snapped. Sasuke tried to escape her grasp, but she held on tightly. Sakura widened her eyes before squeezing her hands into balled fists, turning her knuckles milky white.

"I thought you were always hurting so much! I was worried…but now I know, what you have is just a one-sided love! I'm sorry Yumi-san, but Sasuke-kun is in love with _me_." The pink-haired girl announced angrily. The blond just continued to glare at Sakura.

"No he's not! He's not!" She yelled.

"He is. You're just too afraid to face that fact." She replied. Yumi finally let go of Sasuke and turned away.

The blonde took one last look at Sakura and then ran off. The pink-haired girl sank to the floor and Sasuke immediately went by her side. He could see that Sakura was smiling faintly.

"I'm…such a horrible person…" She gasped and fell right onto him. Sasuke caught her quickly, noticing that fact that she was unconscious. Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her bridle style to her bedroom.

--

"A fever?" Sasuke repeated urgently. Fugaku nodded after he took Sakura's temperature.

"Stress seems to have taken over her. Some medicine and rest will do her some good." He instructed, handing his son some pills.

"Forehead girl…" Ino muttered, feeling her best friend's forehead. "She's so…warm…"

"You know, she gave Yumi a big speech right before she fainted…" Sasuke informed them. Naruto looked at him.

"Really? What'd she tell that bitch?" He asked.

"She told Yumi that her love is one-sided and that I love her, only her." He replied. The boys 'Oooohhh' –ed and smiled at the girl.

"Before she fainted though…she said, "I'm such a horrible person."" Sasuke added. Hinata twiddled her fingers together.

"I think S-Sakura-Chan did the r-right thing… after all, s-she's 'protecting' the one she loves..." She said shyly. Sakura fluttered her eyes open and sat up slowly, holding her head in her hands.

'_My head hurts so much...'_ she thought, not noticing the people around her.

"Sakura,"

She looked to see Sasuke with a concerned look painted across his face and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay!" She chirped happily. He felt her forehead. The fever went down…but only slightly. She felt the heat appear on her cheeks as he touched her forehead. She slowly put her hand on top of his.

"Really…I'm okay." She repeated. Then, she turned to look at Mikoto.

"Mikoto-san, you said you wanted to cook some sukiyaki for dinner tonight. But we don't have any beef." The pink-haired girl recalled. Mikoto frowned.

"Sakura-Chan…you're sick with a fever. I don't think—"

"Getting some fresh air might make me feel better." Sakura persuaded. Mikoto bit her lip, wondering which choice to choose.

"M-maybe if I accompany her, things w-will turn out better…" Hinata offered quietly. Ino nodded.

"Yeah and Hinata is extremely responsible! She won't let anything happen to Forehead-girl!" The blonde agreed.

"Hm…" Fugaku sighed as he rubbed his chin. "I think as long as Hinata is with her, things will go smoothly." He told the excited pink-haired girl.

She bounced up and grinned. "Thank you! Now everyone out! I have to change!" She dashed into her closet to change. Sasuke glanced at her before she left the room. Naruto noticed this, surprisingly.

"Worried, teme?" He asked, grinning. Sasuke elbowed him quickly.

--

Sakura brushed her pink, silky locks with her fingers hurriedly as she looked at her reflection in the full view mirror. She smiled and waved at her reflection childishly. She came downstairs to see that Hinata was already at the front door, waiting patiently.

"Sorry if I took too long, Hinata-chan." Sakura said.

Hinata merely smiled. "It's fine."

"Now, here's the money for the beef. Be careful, okay?" Mikoto said as she handed the female Hyuuga the money. The two girls nodded and they left.

--

"Ah! Here's the b-beef…" Hinata said, picking up the package of meat. Sakura smiled.

"Hinata-Chan, aren't you a vegetarian?" She asked.

The violet nodded. "Yes, but Mikoto-san a-always makes something for me."

"Mikoto-san is a very nice person…" The pink-haired girl said thoughtfully.

Hinata nodded in agreement, her clear eyes sparkling. "Okay…let's go purchase t-this now…"

Once they got to the cash register, Sakura peered out the glass doors curiously and saw many other stores.

"Hinata-Chan, I'm going to wait for you outside, 'kay?" She said.

"B-but—"

Hinata sighed when her friend had already exited the building.

"Miss… are you paying with cash or check?" The male employee questioned her. Hinata whipped around.

"C-cash…"

--

Sakura skipped around the place, enjoying the air. Then, she stopped when she saw a store that was selling stuffed animals.

Letting her curiosity and affection for cute thing take over her, she made her way to the shop to observe things. (1)

A few seconds later, Hinata came out of the store with the purchase in hand. She looked around expecting to see the rosette.

"S-Sakura-Chan…?" She walked around frantically. She flipped out her cell phone before letting out a sigh of frustration.

'_I remembered…Sakura-Chan doesn't have a cell phone of her own…'_

Instead, the worried girl decided to call the summer home.

"_Hello? Are things okay over there_?" Sasuke's voice came through the speaker. She could easily tell that he was a bit worried. Hinata bit her lip.

"S-Sakura-Chan is kind of missing..." She replied hesitantly. There was a moment of silence.

"_What the fuck do you mean?"_ He finally asked her. His language made her feel guilty.

"I was b-buying the beef, then S-Sakura-Chan asked if she could wait for me o-outside…" She answered. She heard Sasuke curse. "B-but before I could even answer, she had already l-left." She added quickly.

Suddenly, a sound of thunder echoed through the afternoon. Hinata jumped slightly, frightened. Then, rain started pouring down. She ran inside the store again.

"S-Sasuke-san, it's raining." Hinata informed.

"_I know,"_

"T-there's no way I can find Sakura-Chan with t-the rain in the way…"

"…_I know…just…just come home…"_ He muttered back after much thought.

"B-but…Sakura-Chan she's…"

"_I know! Okay! I know! Hold on, just wait in the store and Naruto will come and pick you up. I'll go out to find Sakura."_ Sasuke said quickly.

"W-wait"—

_Click._

Hinata frowned. She stood there, holding the meat as she waited patiently. Thunder erupted angrily outside.

--

The sound of thunder scared Sakura. She instantly dropped the teddy bear she was currently looking at. She bent down, picked it up and put it back in its place with the other stuffed animals. She looked outside to see that it was pouring rain.

'_Oh no…I completely forgot about Hinata-Chan!' _she thought frantically before rushing outside, only to be greeted with rain.

Her pink locks were completely soaked in a matter of seconds. She couldn't see anything; the rain was falling too hard. Yet, she ran to where she was hoping the store, and Hinata, would be.

--

"Hinata-Chan!"

The said girl looked up and let out a sigh of relief. But her heart still felt slightly guilty.

"Naruto-kun…" She muttered. She saw Sasuke trailing quietly behind him. She yelped when the Uchiha had grabbed her wrist. Naruto widened his eyes.

"Teme! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The blond yelled, pushing Sasuke back.

"You were supposed to watch over Sakura!" He shouted at Hinata, who had just burst out into tears. Finally, Naruto had pried Sasuke's tight grip on Hinata's tiny wrist and pushed him back.

"Teme! It's not Hinata's fault that Sakura-Chan got lost!" He yelled. Sasuke glared at the two, then turned around and ran off to try and find Sakura. The blond looked back at Hinata, who was blinking away the tears, and gingerly took her bruised wrist in his hands. Her face immediately turned in a hue of rose.

"Sorry…for causing s-so much trouble…" She mumbled. He smiled gently as he caressed her wrist.

"It's okay…I'm sure Sakura-Chan will be found."

--

Sasuke dashed around corners and ran through streets, not knowing if a car was racing by. He looked around for a mop of pink. "Sakura!!" He yelled out.

Suddenly, he felt someone crash into him.

"Watch where you're going you dumb ass—"

"S-Sasuke-kun?" A voice spoke to him. He looked closely as the figure through the rain and saw soaked pink hair, shimmering green eyes and pale skin. Sasuke instantly hugged her close to his warm chest. She snuggled closer to him and smiled. He could feel warm liquid forming at his chest. He looked down at her.

"Why…are you crying?" He asked.

Sakura sniffed. "I-I thought I was lost f-forever..." She replied, rubbing her eyes as he slightly smirked at her immature, yet cute, reply. "Do you have a handkerchief or anything?" Sakura asked between hiccups.

He shook his head. Slowly, he rose his right hand up. She stared at him curiously.

"However…I can lend you my hand." He replied. She smiled and giggled as he wiped her tears from her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun…you sounded so cheesy." She continued to giggle playfully as she hugged him. She backed up after around a minute. Sasuke took her hand.

"Let's go and tell Naruto and Hinata that you're okay." He told her. He heard Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

"I hope they're not too worried…"

--

"S-Sakura-san! Sasuke-san! You two are b-both soaked!" Hinata gasped, running towards the two teenagers.

Sakura smiled. "It's okay! We're both feeling fine." She assured. Naruto checked his watch.

"Well, we better get going." He said, grinning as he grasped Hinata's hand. She blushed and hoped that she wouldn't faint.

Not wanting to be beat by the blond knucklehead, he said, "I'm sorry, Hinata."

She turned back and smiled slightly as Naruto gasped.

"Who are you and what have you done to Sasuke-teme?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"E-eh? What are you talking about Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as Sasuke merely shook his head.

Sasuke wrapped an arm around Sakura and the two couples exited the building.

"I-it's still raining r-really hard…" Hinata muttered. Naruto nodded.

"There's only one thing we can do…CHARGE!!" He yelled, running into the rain with Hinata latched onto him. Sasuke sighed as he shook his head. He took unzipped his jacket and wrapped it around the shivering girl beside him.

Sakura snuggled underneath one side of the jacket. The two quickly followed Naruto and Hinata into the rain, smirking and laughing.

The pink-haired girl enjoyed running with the Uchiha in the pouring rain. She felt warm, and it wasn't because of her fever.

--

"You two," Mikoto pointed at the two males. "We were so worried, you went out without an umbrella!" she scolded the scowling Naruto and Sasuke. Hinata and Sakura stood there, exhausted. "You two girls can go and take a shower." Mikoto told the two girls.

"S-Sakura-san, you should g-go first." Hinata kindly said.

"But it was my fault that this all happened. You should go first." Sakura replied. The Hyuuga shook her head slowly.

"You're sick with a f-fever." She pointed out. Sakura frowned and finally gave up. There was no way to convince her.

"Ok…I'll go first then…" She quickly went up the stairs. Mikoto suddenly grinned and looked back at her younger son and the blond.

"Two knights courageously rescuing two beautiful princesses while fighting the rain! It's just like a fairytale!" She said in a dreamy tone. The two boys immediately blushed and cocked their heads to the side. Hinata stood there, smiling warmly at Naruto. He looked so sweet with pink cheeks. "Ah! So handsome!" Mikoto continued to ogle at the two.

Then, out of random thin air, Itachi and Rain finally appeared. Rain was wrapped in the older Uchiha's leather jacket. She seemed pretty dry, but extremely tired. She was on Itachi's back. The raven-haired man on the other hand, also looked tired and was completely soaked.

"Ah! Another knight and princess!" Mikoto exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together and jumping slightly. The couple each both raised an eyebrow.

"Eh?"

"Just…don't pay attention to her…" Sasuke murmured. "Hey, Kaa-san, I thought you said that they were only going on a 'small' outing." He added.

"Well…I thought they would be back sooner. What happened to you two?" Mikoto asked Rain and Itachi. Rain hopped off from the man's back and returned his jacket back to him.

"Well…we saw a carnival…and got very excited…sorry, we forgot to call you!" The dark-haired girl bowed down in apology. Mikoto's lips curled into a smile as she patted the girl's back.

"That's okay…geez…lots of people are going to have to take a shower early…" She said. Everyone, save Itachi and Sasuke, let out a soft chuckle.

--

Sakura jogged down the stairs, her wet hair hanging by her rosy cheeks. She was wearing one of her thickest pair of pajamas. She turned a sharp corner and suddenly felt herself bump into someone.

"Ow…s-sorry…" She whispered. The pink-haired girl looked up and widened her eyes.

"A-ah! Itachi-kun, I haven't seen you all day!" She said in surprise. He smirked and ruffled her hair lightly.

"My foolish little brother told me about today's incident. I hope your fever has gone down." He said.

She nodded happily. "I feel great!"

"Well, get to the dining table quickly. Mother's serving the sukiyaki." He told her. Sakura looked at him curiously.

"…aren't you going to eat as well?" She asked. He cringed and pointed at his stomach.

"I…I ate a lot today." Itachi slowly walked up the stairs towards his room. Sakura made her way to the dining table. Everyone turned to stare at her.

"…hi?"

"We all heard about the incident…but we want to know what really happened between you and Sasuke." Neji finally said for everyone else. Sasuke was currently taking a shower. Sakura sat down and blushed.

"Well…nothing much," The pink-haired girl lied, looking down at her plate of food. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Forehead, we _all_know something romantic happened to you two." She said coolly.

"No kissing? No hugging? No cheesy lines?" TenTen asked, inching closer and closer to Sakura.

The girl took in a sharp breath. "Well…there was some…h-hugging and cheesy lines…" She admitted, her blush returning.

"Really?! It's dream come true!!" Mikoto exclaimed, smiling brightly.

"Hm…do tell." Shikamaru told Sakura. She fidgeted nervously in her seat. She was kind of glad Naruto and Hinata were drying off too right now.

"I…I was crying as he hugged me…then I asked if he had a handkerchief of some sort…instead, he offered me his…hand." She explained. The girls squealed dreamily. Fugaku just sighed and smiled lightly as he started reading his daily newspaper.

"Sasuke-kun, do you have a handkerchief?" Ino asked TenTen, acting out the part of Sakura in a high pitched voice. TenTen grinned

"No Sakura dear, but I can offer you my hand!" The brunette followed along, making her voice sound as if she were playing in an over dramatic play. TenTen brushed her hand along Ino's eyes as the blonde giggled.

"I love you my Sasuke-kun!"

"I love you more my beautiful Sakura-Chan!" The two females hugged mockingly.

"Um…Ino, TenTen…" Neji managed out a bit nervously as he pointed to the direction behind them. The two girls froze.

"Sasuke…he's right behind us, isn't he?" They both spoke in unison. Slowly, they turned around and put on a big smile.

"H-hi Sasuke…" Tenten said.

"Uh huh…" Sasuke said as he crossed his arms.

--

Soon, everyone had finally showered and dressed in their pajamas. Ino had just called everyone to the living room. Everyone came as expected. Fugaku and Mikoto were the only ones who didn't show up. They liked to go to sleep early, according to Sasuke.

Shikamaru sighed lazily when he saw that Ino was holding three DVDs: "_The Grudge 2"_, "_The Pacifier_", and the last was, "_100 Days with Mr. Arrogant_". (2)

All the girls chose the last movie, while the boys chose the first movie, which happened to be horror. "The Pacifier" was completely forgotten. Then, TenTen thought more.

"Actually…I think I'll go with the horror movie. Besides, reading the subtitles for the Korean movie might make Naruto's head hurt." The brunette said.

Sakura bit her bottom lip. Sasuke noticed this and smirked. "What? Are you afraid of horror movies?" He asked, his smirk growing wider.

"N-no!" She lied quickly. She was surprised when Sasuke suddenly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She her cheeks gushed out a light tint of pink.

"Don't worry." He whispered in her ear.

Finally, after Ino had put in the DVD, the movie began to play. Sakura had already watched the first movie and she got completely terrified. She hoped that this movie would be less scary.

"Whoa…that is _harsh_." Neji muttered when a woman had taken a pan of boiling oil and poured it onto her husband's head, killing him. Everyone else cringed, except for the two Uchihas who were both watching with interest.

"AH!" Sakura yelled when the woman (3) hit the floor after falling down from the building. The sight of blood made her feel queasy. She snuggled closer into Sasuke's chest.

_About an hour later…_

"What the hell is your problem?! Don't go into that house!" Ino protested at the TV screen as the main character stepped into the house where the Grudge was murdered.

After the main character had yelled out some words, the husband appeared and tortured her…like he had tortured his wife. The little boy watched quietly from the stairs. Hinata and Rain glanced at the scene, grimaced and looked away.

The movie ended…with the woman moaning quietly on the floor with broken bones. The credits finally began to roll. Most of them stared at the screen, their mouths wide open.

Ino jumped up from her seat and stretched.

"What a stupid movie. The main character is a retard." She said in a bored tone.

"T-that movie…was so… s-scary..." Sakura whispered. Sasuke smirked.

"Of course, that's why it's called a _horror_ movie." He said, pointing out the obvious.

Naruto stood up and also stretched. "What a movie, huh Hinata?" He looked at the said girl. She was currently slumped on the couch, not replying. "Hinata-Chan?"

Itachi and Rain just made their way upstairs. TenTen grinned at Neji's slightly frightened face.

"Geez Neji, I didn't know you were scared of that movie." She giggled and tugged one of his chocolate locks.

--

After everyone had left to go to their own rooms (Naruto had to carry Hinata), Sakura decided to watch the Korean movie by herself. She went to the kitchen to prepare herself some popcorn.

"Ahhh…"

Sakura froze in her spot. She could hear the faint moaning of the Grudge. Yelling, she grabbed a pot and slammed the figure behind her.

"OW!" The person loudly hissed.

That definitely didn't sound like the Grudge. Sakura looked over nervously at the person whom she had just pummeled. She gasped when she saw spiky raven colored locks.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" She scurried over to him and helped him up quickly while constantly apologizing. "I'm sorry, so, so, so sorry! I'm sorry!"

He rubbed his red cheek. Sakura felt even guiltier.

"I hit you in the face?! I feel terrible!" She said in a loud tone. He just smirked at her.

"It's okay... it's my fault for scaring you." Sasuke replied, trying to make her feel better. '_But god damn that hurt!'_

He glanced at the popcorn that was currently being in the microwave. "Why are you making popcorn this late at night?" He questioned.

"I'm going to watch a movie!" He cocked an eyebrow up.

"This late at night?"

"Well…I was really looking forward to watching that Korean movie…" Sakura replied slowly.

Once the microwave began beeping, signaling that the popcorn was done, Sasuke took out a large bowl and dumped the popcorn in it. He took her by the wrist and walked into the living room.

"Eh?" Sakura was confused.

"I'm watching the movie with you." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her confused face quickly brightened up. She hopped onto the couch as Sasuke inserted the movie. He sat down next to her and the two watched while munching on the popcorn.

--

The credits began rolling. "The movie's done. Let's get some slee—"

He was about to stand up when he felt some weight holding him down. He glanced at Sakura, who was fast asleep. He sighed as he turned off the DVD player and the TV. He threw away any leftover kernels and washed the bowl. Then, the Uchiha walked to Sakura and sighed again.

'_She wants to watch a movie…and then she falls asleep…'_

He gingerly picked her up bridal style and slowly walked up the stairs.

_**You see love at first is summer time**_

_**That's when you think that everything's fine  
No one ever thinks its gonna end  
But when things go wrong and winter comes  
You're gonna need to run to someone  
Left alone you'll just freeze up again  
But you should know  
When it gets too cold  
You're not alone  
I'll melt the snow**_

Sasuke opened the door to his room and placed her carefully onto his bed and pulled the covers up. She looked so sweet when she was asleep. Her mouth was slightly open, making her look even cuter.

He went to the bathroom and then slowly went on his bed, careful not to wake up the pink-haired girl. H**e pulled the blanket over his cold body and smirked at** her. Finally, Sasuke fell asleep.

**When it gets too cold  
You're not alone  
I'll melt the snow**

**End Day 5**

**(July 15)**

**A/N: Okay, I know this chapter is totally for SasuSaku, but oh well. But I'm really sorry I didn't get in some other couples in. There was some NaruHina though. **

**PLEASE READ: I'm so happy with all you guys. You have all made me realize something very, very important:**

_**Quality over Quantity**_

**I read some reviews from the past and felt so glad that you guys love my story so much! The reviews are so heartwarming and sweet! So, thank you so much! You really don't know how happy I am right now. **

**So, I don't really care about the amount of reviews, because it's you guys that motivate me so much. **

**Thank you to: **

**cherry blossom petals, sasukerules(dot)org, Freedomstar999, VWaterlily, Leite Destiny, a thousand cranes, Itachi-kunsOneTrueLove, 9081, HimeIchigoYuki, UchihaVamprincess0110, anime-liker92, CrimsonCherryBlossom13, xxItachi's Angelxx, Catwinn, xo M i M i, L is 4 LOVE, Kunoichi-of-the-Leaf, chocolateangel5 and Akira the Akai Tenshi! **

**Sorry if I missed anyone or had any misspellings.**

**Again, thank you SO much!**

**Thank you to my beta, Catwinn!!**

**Stuff-**

**(1) Sakura has a liking to cute things, ne?**

**(2) The Grudge 2 is a horror movie, The Pacifier is a comedy and 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant is a Korean romance and humor movie.**

**(3) (Karen, I believe)**


	7. Past and Present

**A/N: My beta, Catwinn, suggested that as a goodbye present for you guys, I should at least complete one more chapter for this story. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please visit my profile :)**

**Also, sorry if I made some of you have to reread some of the chapters. **

**Dedicated to xxItachi's Angelxx, who is the owner of Rain-chan. **

--

**JULY 16**

It was one of those beautiful sunny days. It was the type of day which either made you want to take a quiet stroll around the park or amble aimlessly around your house. Though the day was bright and glorious, the aura inside the Uchiha summer home was thick and dense.

Sasuke was sitting on the couch, his eyes in angry slits, his jaw tightly clenched. Fugaku put the phone down, his frown deeper than ever. Itachi and Rain cast sad expressions towards each other. Mikoto, for once, had a serious look on her face and her eyes were clouded with misery. The rest of the teens were either staring at them with confusion or having a rather cheerful conversation, ignoring the vibe within the house.

"Damn!" Fugaku suddenly bellowed his fist landing hard on the dining table. Naruto and Ino jumped up, startled at the loud noise. Mikoto put her small, slender hand on Fugaku's and checked the glass for any cracks. Sasuke and Itachi coolly looked up.

"Sasuke-kun…what's wrong?" Sakura asked, her eyes glazed with concern. Sasuke sighed as he leaned back onto the couch and put his head on her shoulder. She blushed lightly.

"Have you ever heard of the Gane family?" The youngest Uchiha asked the pink-haired girl. She gasped lightly then nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration. Sasuke stopped leaning on Sakura and sat up.

"They're richer than the Uchihas…they have the power to do almost anything…but that stupid girl…" He trailed off, cursing under his breath. Naruto tilted his head to the side. He had been listening.

"You mean Karin?" He questioned.

"…Yeah…" He replied. Ino sat up as quickly as a flash of lightening.

"What is she doing this time?" The blonde asked urgently. Itachi scratched the back of his head.

"I'm guessing she's still pretty serious about marrying Sasuke. She even got her family to _threaten _us with the contract..." He told them all in reply. Sakura's eyes widened when Itachi said "marrying". There was an angry feeling in her stomach and she knew it was jealousy.

"Who's Karin? What contract?" The emerald-eyed girl asked, containing her ill feelings.

"Karin is the member of the Gane family. The Gane family and the Uchiha family have been partners in business for years. But that partnership may be broken soon." Sasuke explained, glaring at the floor. He looked at Sakura's confused expression.

"If I don't marry Karin, the Gane family will break our relationship and the Uchiha family will lose a lot of money." He answered her silent question. The feeling in her stomach erupted and spewed angry throughout her body. Numbing her senses and making her eyes glass over.

"Then…marry her." Sakura told him, her voice never skipping a beat. Mikoto quickly went up to her and grabbed her hand.

"Sakura! How can you say that? The only person who will be happy with that would be Karin." She said sadly. The said girl cocked her head to the side, avoiding all eye contact with anyone. Fugaku glanced at nothing in particular, thinking hard.

"But think about it," she began her debate. She cleared her throat and tucked some of her long hair behind her ear. "This is something you can't refuse and if you don't, I'd feel too guilty. It's not fair."

"Sakura," Sasuke growled angrily. "You act as if I want to marry Karin."

The girl didn't look up. Sasuke took one last look at her and left the room. The sound of a door slamming pierced throughout the room. Naruto cringed.

"S-Sakura…" Hinata murmured. Sakura finally looked up. The rest of them frowned.

She was smiling with glossy eyes.

--

Sakura looked out the window, the sunlight shining on her fair skin. She silently watched the wind blow gently through the trees and the birds fly together in perfect unison.

A soft knock echoed throughout the room.

"Sakura?" It was a female voice. Sakura shook her head and kept blinking, hoping the redness in the whites of her eyes would disappear. Right after the conversation, the group had parted ways to cool down. Sakura had locked herself in her room and cried. She couldn't help it. The thought of Sasuke marrying another girl was deafening. But Sasuke had to. The Uchiha family would no longer be a great name to honour if the partnership would ever break. Naturally, many of her friends had come but she had sent them all away.

The same knock echoed throughout her room.

"…Come in…" Sakura finally decided to say. She had to talk to someone… The door quietly opened and Sakura was surprised to see Rain walking into her room. "Rain," She whimpered. The said woman smiled lightly as she took a seat on the bed, next to her.

"Sakura, I know as much as you do that you don't want Sasuke to marry himself to the Gane family. I also know that he doesn't want to either." Rain told the pink-haired girl truthfully. Sakura stayed silent, her throat dry.

"You know, it took a while for me and Itachi to get together." Rain told her. Sakura suddenly looked very interested.

"Really?" She sounded like a small child.

"Yeah…here, I'll tell you the story." The dark-haired woman started, sitting up.

"_Rain!!" Kiki, Rain's best friend, shouted loudly, jumping from three stairs down. Rain whipped around and then smiled widely. The sky was blue with breathtakingly cloudy. Puddles were scattered around the concrete floor, from the rain last night. _

"_How was the student council meeting?" Rain asked curiously, taking a swift glance into the large room. Some students were still scrambling about. Others were filing out calmly, some in pairs and some alone. Kiki, her blonde pigtails bouncing with her movement, grinned happily. _

"_It was pretty cool. I thought it would be boring. That Uchiha guy though…he's amazing!!" The girl explained loudly, her arms flying up into the air with enthusiasm. As if on cue, Itachi walked coolly passed them, a fat notebook in hand. His long ponytail moved from side to side. Rain stared after him. _

'_He's so handsome!' She marvelled. The dark-haired girl would have usually been embarrassed to think such but for some reason, she wasn't this time. She figured that most of the student population would have thought so too. _

"_Anyways, thanks for waiting. I'm glad I don't have to walk home alone." Kiki brought Rain back into reality. She blinked. _

_"__Huh…oh yeah, that's okay. Actually, I was in the café for half an hour." She replied. Rain looked back and saw that Itachi was already crossing the street. She grinned to herself._

_--_

_Rain strolled along the sidewalk, holding on securely to the handles of her book bag. She was walking to school, although today she came earlier. Rain had agreed to meet Kiki at her café. She glanced up at the sky to see that it was gray, like two days ago. She frowned. When it rained during class times, the boys would make fun of her and say that it was her who had caused the rain, because of her name. She knew they were only lightly teasing but it still bothered her quite more than it should have._

_Out from the corner of her eye, she noticed two blurry figures. Itachi was riding his bike up the slope quickly. Behind him, was another boy who looked exactly like him, just smaller. The two had such determined expressions on their faces; it was obvious that they were racing. _

_Suddenly, the smaller boy blacked out and collapsed, bike and all. Not noticing the fallen boy, Itachi kept pedaling his bike faster, his speed increasing rapidly. Rain gasped, looked both ways and dashed across the road to the young boy. _

"_Itachi-san!" She yelled out. She touched the boy's forehead and checked for any major injuries. He was unconscious. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Itachi stop and turn around. Then, he put his bike down and hurried over. _

"_What happened to him?" He asked. His voice was slightly little anxious but it still held a tone of superiority. Rain looked up. "I think he just fainted due to fatigue. I'm guessing that you two are competitive brothers and decided to have a race?" The dark-haired girl questioned and she took out a water bottle and a small, clean square of cloth. Itachi's calm facial expression didn't falter. _

"_Yes…I suppose we are quite competitive." He replied coolly, patting the wet cloth that was laid out on the boy's forehead. Rain looked up, her eyes curious. _

"_What's his name?" She asked and then looked back down at the boy. He didn't look away from his younger brother as he answered. _

"_Sasuke," He told her. Rain nodded slowly. The two looked very alike. The boy looked almost peaceful, if it weren't for the fact that he was lying on the sidewalk with sweat dripping down his cheek. He let out a pained groan and moved a bit. _

"_Oi." Itachi spoke. His voice didn't seem as kind as before. Rain glanced at Itachi strangely. "Sasuke. Get up or else you'll be late." He commanded. The girl looked down in thought. _

'_Ah…that's right…the elementary school is farther from the high school.'_

"_Ugh…" Sasuke groaned again as he stood up slowly. Itachi was standing nearby with his arms crossed, not assisting in any way. "C'mon." He urged. Rain stared at him, confused. _

'_He was so worried a while ago. Why is he so rude now?' _

_The next thing that Itachi did surprised her very much. Itachi was on one knee, his arms out, waiting. Sasuke was behind Itachi and in one swift movement; he was being carried by his older brother in a piggy back style. _

"_Rain-san, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you accompany us to the elementary school and carry Sasuke's bike?" Itachi called back to the said girl. Rain almost jumped in joy- she figured it was the best day to wake up early. _

_"__Alright… but what about your bike?" Itachi looked back for a swift second and shrugged. _

_"__Leave it there." He replied in a calm voice. _

"_But…um…someone might…you know…steal it." The dark-haired girl told him. _

"_It doesn't matter. But please put my bag and Sasuke's bag onto the bike. I apologize if it becomes heavier." He stated. Rain did notice that dragging the bike up along the slope was getting more difficult with each passing minute. _

_Finally, after what seemed to be about forty-five minutes, they got to Sasuke's elementary school. Thankfully, he wasn't late. Itachi waved to the teacher quickly as Rain locked the bike onto one of the racks. There was an awkward pause as the two teens stared at the ground. Rain kicked slowly at the rocks on the floor as Itachi seemed to be checking something on his cell phone. _

"_There's no way we can get to school in time." He said, breaking the silence. Rain sighed as she grabbed her bag from the floor and slung it over her shoulder. "Then there's no point in rushing, is there?" She asked, beginning to amble on the road towards the school. _

"_Would you like to…go somewhere?" Itachi suggested, stubbornly avoiding any eye contact with her. Rain stared at her, perplexed. _

_"__We just met. And you want to go somewhere?" She made it sound as if he was asking a stupid question. He pushed a few strands of hair from his face. _

_"__Is there a problem? What's the point of going back to school when we'll just get a detention?" He pointed out, crossing his arms. A sudden smile broke out onto her face. _

"_I just didn't know that _**_you _**_would actually suggest to just skip school." She giggled. Itachi crossed his arms. "It's better than getting a detention." He defended for himself. Rain stood up to accompany him, then remembered that they were wearing their school uniforms. _

"_Ah…the police will stop us if they see us in our uniforms. They probably wouldn't stop you though." She told him, noticing that his black hoodie was covering the school's crest on his shirt underneath. He nodded and took off his sweater and handed it to her. She hesitantly took it. _

"_But the school's crest on your shirt…" She murmured, smoothing out the sweater. Itachi began unbuttoning the shirt, to reveal a normal black sleeved shirt. He stuffed the other shirt in his backpack and looked at her. _

"_No one will suspect we're skipping class. I'm just wearing all black. Men tend to dress this way. And you have a pleaded skirt with a black sweater on. It'll look similar to a uniform, but who would suspect? As for our age, we look old enough. We should be able to pass as adults." Itachi explained, fixing his shirt a little. He slipped his bag neatly onto his shoulders. _

"_So…where to?" He asked, a mischievous glint in his obsidian eyes. Rain smiled gently. _

_--_

"_I didn't know you had a thing for roller coasters." Rain said as they got off one of the rides at one of the local miniature kid theme parks. So far, no one suspected them to be students skipping class. Itachi knew being absent would cause his father to grow angry, but he wasn't in the mood for an after school detention. _

"_Eh…I don't particularly enjoy them, but I have no problem with them either." He replied. Rain looked down at her shoes. "Your younger brother…you really care about him, don't you, Itachi-san?" She questioned. She saw his cheeks glow pink with embarrassment. _

"_Though…you're so strict and mean to him. But when he's not around or not listening, you have a soft spot for him. Why is that?" Rain continued, waiting for a reply. _

"_Being…kind will only make him feel at ease. Being strict will make him more determined and want to become better than me in everything. He'll need this type of quality when he gets older or he won't survive out there. I believe that he will become stronger and more talented in some areas than me. And that's what I hope." The Uchiha said, looking away. Rain grinned. _

"_Just as I thought. With the way you treat him, he'll most likely hate you in the future." She pointed out, being half serious and half humorous. Itachi shrugged. "It won't matter to me." He began walking away to a bench to sit down. Rain stood in the same spot, her brain replaying what he just said. _

'_It won't matter to me.'_

_It surprised her how he can say something like that without regret or remorse. He said things as if he _**_really _**_didn't care. And it made her wonder if he really did care and what he seriously cared about. She could see him from the corner or her eye looking towards her. _

'_It won't matter to me.' _

_--_

**_One year later. _**

_So, it happened. Rain never really thought about the possibilities, but it happened. A few months after they had ditched class, they were finally 'together'. It was still a bit awkward…their relationship. Itachi would grasp her hand after each class and kindly escort her to her next class. It was good that they had most of their classes together. But it was difficult talking to him at times. He wasn't much of an affectionate talker. _

_What bothered her most was how the students would react to every little thing they did together. Even the teachers knew about the relationship. (Which later led to having their seats separated far apart from each other.)_

_Rain soon began walking home with Itachi, or picking up Sasuke from the elementary school. Occasionally, she would even go to the Uchiha household. Apparently, his parents had no problem with him bringing a girl home. It was pretty much self-explanatory, since Itachi wasn't the type to 'take advantage'. Mikoto would grow too excited with Itachi having a girlfriend and would bake cookies or brownies with each visit. _

_Today, Rain visited the Uchiha household again. As usual, Mikoto began making a brownie mixture while humming various tunes in her beautiful, high pitched voice. Itachi was currently upstairs, helping Fugaku fix a computer. _

_This left Sasuke sitting at the living room table, doing his homework. He was now in middle school, in sixth grade. It was good since the middle school and the high school buildings were right next to each other. Rain fidgeted in her seat. She rarely ever talked with Sasuke. _

"_Um…if you ever need help, you can just ask me…" The dark-haired girl said, smiling one of her best smiles. Sasuke looked over his shoulder. "You try too hard, you know that?" He told her, scribbling math work all over his scratch paper. _

"_H-huh?" Rain asked. The younger Uchiha scoffed. _

"_I can see right through you. Every conversation with Itachi-nii…you have to think hard to think of a good topic. Most couples just say anything that's on their mind. But you, you're trying too hard just to talk to him." Sasuke replied naturally, his emotions not phasing. Rain bit her bottom lip. _

"_It doesn't even seem like Itachi-nii loves you. All he ever does is hold your hand and talk with you. I bet he's never even told you 'I love you'." The boy continued, his mind attached to both the conversation and his homework. _

"_You…you have no right to discuss the relationship between me and Itachi-san." Rain said, her voice gaining confidence with each word. Sasuke scoffed. "You still call him Itachi-_**_san_**_. You guys will never be intimate with each other." He said. Rain looked at him angrily. _

"_You have no right to talk about what's intimate and what's not." She snapped. "I bet you'll never be intimate with a girl when you enter high school." She told him, poking his forehead, a thing that Itachi had taught her. Sasuke glared at her. "I'm not planning too either." He muttered, scratching out some notes, his pencil scraping against the paper angrily._

"_Okay!! Rain-chan, Sasu-kun, here are some brownies! I'll go call Ita"—_

_Rain slammed her hand on the coffee table, irritated by Sasuke, and jogged towards the stairs. Mikoto rose an eyebrow and darted her eyes straight to Sasuke. "What did you do?" She asked in a concerned voice. Sasuke scoffed and didn't say anymore. _

_--_

_Rain went up the stairs as fast as she could. She just couldn't stand that little, arrogant Sasuke. If it weren't for her, Itachi would have never noticed that he had fainted. Was that his way of thanking her? Not once had he ever been 'nice' to her. _

"_Ita"—_

"_Yes, I've got the things with me now. Kisame just gave them to me." It was Itachi's voice. It sounded like he was talking on the phone. Rain stopped mid-step. She gently put her foot on the floor and listened onto the strange conversation. _

'_What _**_things _**_is he talking about? And isn't Kisame that violent guy in school?' _

_She needed to figure things out quickly. There was a long silence. _

"_I…I'm not sure if I can get a hold on _**_those_**_, but I will try my best. So how many do you need?" More silence…_

"_Okay, five, yes, yes, I'll try." He responded to the question which was still unknown to Rain. She looked at the floor. 'Five _**_what_**_?'_

"_Bye." The sound of a cell phone being closed was heard and then, a deep frustrated sigh. "That idiot…why does he need those? Why does he even bother? But…I owe him a lot." He began murmuring to himself. Rain quickly turned away to go back downstairs. Feeling the fear of having Itachi keeping secrets from her, she suddenly fell down, making a loud noise. She heard Itachi get up from his bed. _

"_Rain? Was that you? Are you alright?" Mikoto's voice from downstairs rang out. Itachi appeared in front of her and gingerly pulled her back onto her feet. "Are you okay?" He asked, scanning her body for injuries. Rain twisted her hair nervously, feeling awkward. He wasn't acting suspicious of her or anything. He was acting perfectly natural. _

"_I…yeah, I'm okay." She said quietly. She straightened out her school skirt and smiled lightly at him. He smiled back a bit and took her hand, leading her downstairs. Mikoto's head popped from the kitchen, a look of worry on her face. "Rain-chan? Did you hurt yourself?" She asked. _

_Rain shook her head. "I'm okay, Mikoto-san." She replied back, a reassuring smile on her face. Mikoto's face lit up in an instant. "Well, there are some brownies from you guys. Enjoy!" She turned away and gracefully went back into the kitchen. _

_Sasuke, from the coffee table, glanced at them. His eyes soon dropped onto Rain. Then, his eyes slowly lingered onto Itachi. "Tch." He whispered before scooping up his stuff and taking a small brownie from the plate. He went upstairs, most likely to his room. Itachi smirked softly. He walked to the table and picked up a brownie. He turned to Rain, the heart melting smirk still on his face. _

"_Say, 'Ah'." He told her. She stared back at him, her cheeks red in embarrassment. "Eh? Eh…?" She asked, covering her face as her face grew hotter. The dark-haired girl heard him chuckle lightly. "Hey…say, 'Ah'." He repeated, gently removing her hands from her face. She looked flushed. _

"…_ah…" Rain hesitated a bit before finally opening her mouth. Itachi put the brownie in her mouth. She took an averaged sized bite and turned away, completely embarrassed. "Since when are you so affectionate?" She asked, not daring to look into his eyes. Itachi just smirked again and said nothing. Today was very interesting. _

_--_

_Another year later…_

_One more year had passed, and the two were still together. Their relationship grew more and more brighter as each day passed. They had never shared a kiss yet, but none of them were forcing it, so that wasn't much of a problem. _

_Soon, Rain began using the 'kun' suffix instead of the usual, formal sounding 'san'. Itachi still called her by 'Rain', but it didn't bother her. She would probably shrink if he called her 'Rain-chan'. _

_Ever since the strange phone call, Rain never heard or it anymore again. She didn't know if it was just a normal conversation between Itachi and a friend or if he had known she was eavesdropping before and was being more careful. Still, she didn't ask him any questions or bring up the subject. _

_But today, something was different. _

"_Itachi-kun! Good morning!!" Rain called out happily, jumping up to him. He gave her a small smile and gestured for them to sit at the bench. He put his bag down. A loud 'thud' was heard as he put it down. It sounded like clanking metal. Rain looked at the bag curiously. _

"_Ah…that sounded…heavy. What's in there, Itachi-kun?" She asked. Itachi quickly put the bag on the floor, but more gently, Rain noted. He shook his head. "Nothing…just a few textbooks and all." He replied, keeping his voice steady. Rain, being naïve this morning, believed him. "Oh…okay!" She answered, grinning happily. _

_They had a normal conversation between each other and soon, the bell rang. They had first period together, so they walked together. _

"_Ohayo, Kakashi-sensei!!" Rain chimed, waving. Kakashi smiled underneath his mysterious mask. Itachi nodded in acknowledgement to the teacher. Kakashi eyed him strangely before slowly nodding back. Rain didn't notice. _

_Itachi sat down in his desk, next to Kisame. The blue-skinned boy grinned innocently. "Hello, Itachi." He greeted. Itachi grunted in response and looked at the board. He put his bag on his lap. Kisame glanced into the bag and smiled. _

_--_

_After school…_

"_Rain, I'm afraid you'll have to walk home alone today. There was an urgent student council meeting." Itachi said to the said girl. She shook her head. "I can wait." She replied. Itachi smiled, enough to make her melt. _

"_Aa…no, it's okay. Really, you should be getting home." The Uchiha told her, stroking her hair. Rain looked at him sadly, but eventually left. _

_Rain strolled along the sidewalk, kicking little rocks in her path. Then, she spotted Kiki, a few feet away from her. 'Hey…I thought there was a council meeting today…' She ran up to the blonde girl. _

"_Konichiwa! Kiki-chan!!" She shouted. Kiki whipped around and smiled. "Hey, Rain-chan! Hm…where's Itachi-kun? You two always walk home together." She asked curiously. Rain bit her lip. 'So there wasn't a council meeting today…? What's going on?' _

"_Oh! Um…I forgot something in class! Kiki, go on without me. I'll see you tomorrow!" Without a look back, she ran off quickly. "Ah…! Wait…!" Kiki didn't get a chance to say anything else. _

_Rain ran as fast as her legs would go. 'Something's wrong…I know it!' She finally arrived at the school again. Suddenly, she heard a scream from the back of the A building. Then, a loud thumping sound was heard. "Stop!" A voice cried out. _

_Rain gulped nervously. That couldn't have anything to do was Itachi, could it? Taking her chances, she silently made her way to the commotion and poked her head from the corner. She gasped and covered her mouth from making any further noise. On the floor, was poor freshman student. His was trying to limp away, his cheek smudged with blood. His right arm was bleeding heavily. _

"_Hmph…you small fry think you're all that, huh? Do you think it was funny to steal from us?" A large man said loudly from the shadows. He stepped out. It was Kisame. He had a small gun in hand. _

"_Are you trying to start a war, freshman?" Another man, with messy red hair asked. Rain recalled his name as 'Sesame'…or something like that. The student shook his head frantically. "N-no! I swear! I…I just…I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" He shouted desperately. _

"_He said he was sorry, guys. Let's go…go…go…" An energetic man sang, skipping around. He had an orange mask on. Rain recognized him as Tobi, the happy go lucky boy whom she always saw at lunch. Kisame sneered. _

"_Unfortunately… 'sorry' doesn't cut it…" Rain knew that voice in an instant. Itachi entered the little circle. He pointed the gun at the freshman, an emotionless mask on his face. The boy's eyes widened and he helplessly covered his face with his uninjured arm. Recklessly, Rain began to charge at Itachi and stop him, but a forceful push caused her to fall back. She looked up, confused. She saw Kakashi, walking to where the chaos was occurring. _

"_Now, now…is this really the place to have guns?" The silver-haired man asked, his voice aloof. Itachi pointed the gun down. "Kakashi-sensei." He spoke. The frightened freshman looked a little relieved at the sight of the teacher. _

"_Itachi…" Kakashi continued. "Where did you even get those guns?" He questioned. Rain felt her whole body go numb. 'The sound from his backpack…that strange phone call…the excuses…this is the reason…' She didn't know it, but tears had begun streaming down her face. _

"_And I thought you were being alert. You were about to shoot a defenseless freshmen in front of your girlfriend." Kakashi stated. At this, Itachi widened his eyes slightly and sighed. "Rain." He called out. Rain revealed herself and ambled towards him, crying. She glared up at him. "I…I can't b-believe y-y-y-you…" She chocked on her tears. Kisame grinned, amused by what was happening. _

"_Rain, I did this for a reason. Kisame…he helped me escape from death. So I told him I would give him anything, for saving my life. He asked me to join his gang…but he tricked me too. To be part of his gang, I had to listen to anything he told me. I couldn't refuse. I'm sorry, Rain." He apologized. Instead of being embraced like he had expected, he received a sharp slap across the face. _

"_JUST for saving your life you would give him anything?" Rain asked. _

"_Rain, a life is not to be taken lightly. I still had so much I needed to accomplish. Obtain the Uchiha company, finish college, get a job…start a family." He said quietly. _

"_Don't…don't try to trick me…you almost killed a life…" She pointed out. Itachi looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry." He muttered. Kakashi cleared his throat, catching their attention. "Sorry to ruin the moment, but if you would so kind as to give me those guns." He asked, holding his hands out. Itachi nodded towards Kisame. The fish like teen grunted and handed the gun to the teacher. _

"_Are you going to inform Jiraiya-sama of this? (From the first story: Tsunade is sort of the 'mayor' of Tokyo, Sakura's hometown)." Sasori asked, handing the gun to Kakashi as well. Kakashi sighed. "I'm letting you guys off the hook this time, okay? But if this happens again, I'm going to have you all arrested." He told them with a serious tone. _

"_We understand!" Tobi cheered. Kakashi looked at him suspiciously, but Tobi shrugged, signaling that he wasn't holding a gun. _

_Itachi turned back to Rain. She looked away sadly and walked away. Itachi felt Kisame nudge him on the shoulder. "Uh…aren't you going to go after her? She might not forgive you." He said. The Uchiha frowned. _

"_This isn't a soap opera. Anyways, it won't matter to me." He said, loud enough for Rain to hear. She held her head up high all the way home. _

'_It won't matter to me.'_

_--_

Rain smiled sadly, her eyes cast down onto the floor. Sakura looked shocked and surprised. "Itachi-kun…did all that? How is it now with the gang? Is he still part of it? How did you guys get back together? Have you really forgiven him?" The pink-haired girl burst out into questions. Rain laughed softly.

"Calm down, Sakura-chan. After that incident, my family and I moved to Japan. Then, Mikoto-san called me up there somehow and that's how I arrived back here. With the gang…they disbanded eventually. But after the incident, they changed themselves into a 'good' gang. Actually, you couldn't really call them a gang. They were more known as a 'group' called 'Akatsuki' From then on, they began helping the students from our school with personal problems.

"Itachi-kun and the others still talk with one another. And…I think I have forgiven him. Aside from his porn problem, things are okay between us." She finished. Sakura tackled her into a hug. "That was amazing! After all that…you two are still together and…" She trailed off, thinking about Sasuke.

"Sakura, you just have to stay head strong, okay? Don't let that Karin get to you." Rain said, determined. Sakura smiled, but hesitantly. "I'll try my best."

'_But…if they don't marry each other…the Uchiha company will collapse…'_

--

DING DONG!!

"I'll get it!!" Ino shouted energetically, rushing to the door. Shikamaru coolly rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Ino got to the door and swung it open, smiling brightly.

Her smile slowly faded when she saw who was at the door.

Red hair…dark eyes…thick glasses…

"Karin, what are you doing here?" Ino asked, resisting the urge to slam the door and walk away. The said girl smiled sweetly as she entered the summer home, dragging three large bags of luggage behind her. She sat herself on the couch. Sasuke walked into the living home and was about to quickly walk back into the kitchen when he spotted Karin.

"Sasuke-kun!!" Karin cooed. Sasuke stopped walking and mentally groaned. Sakura walked into the room, wondering who the visitor was. "Karin, what are you doing here?" He repeated Ino's question. Naruto glared at her from behind as the others frowned. Sakura widened her eyes, surprised at how pretty Karin was.

"I'm here to discuss our wedding!"

**A/N: I thought that maybe I should end it at when Ino answers the door, but I decided not to since this story won't be updated in a while.**

**So, there's Rain and Itachi's past. A bit dramatic for high school, isn't it? Ha ha ha...**

**And for any of you Karin lovers out there, I'm sorry. I made Karin a bad guy in the story. But I got to admit, she's pretty and slightly helpful in the manga. But there's just something about her I hate. Maybe it's because she keeps crushing on Sasuke. **

**Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed it! As for the long flashback, I didn't add in all the Akatsuki members because I didn't want to make the flashback any longer. Plus, it's hard to get everyone to talk. **

**By the way, I don't know Karin's last name, so I just made one up. It's Gane, pronounced "Gah-nay". **

**If none of you had noticed, I'm taking a very long break off of FF. I'll still be on reading stories though, and I'll still reply to PMs, though those may take a while. For more info, please visit my profile. **

**Thanks to my beta, catwin and all the readers and reviewers of this story!!**

**I…have nothing else to say…**

**Please review!**


	8. Enter: Karin Gane

**A/N: Haha…hi! I don't know if anyone reads this anymore, but I don't really care. Every story needs an ending! And this is for the person who messaged me on Myspace about my stories! Thank you! **

**By the way, you guys can find me on Myspace:**

_**/yay_pikachuuu**_

**and tumblr:**

_**kristel-charizard**_

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

**JULY 16**

'_That's…Karin…?'_

Sakura sucked in a quick breath. Karin was…beautiful. She had red silky locks, and a gorgeous body. It was like she was made to be in magazines and TV commercials.

In no time, Karin had latched herself onto Sasuke's arm. He cringed.

"Karin, get off," He commanded, obviously disgusted. Sakura only stood by awkwardly, wondering what she should do.

Then, when everyone least expected it, Yumi entered the house. And when she saw Karin, she instantly glared. It actually looked like the girl hated Karin a lot more than she hated Sakura.

"Slut, get out of this house!" She yelled. Karin only smiled back and clung to Sasuke even tighter. Yumi let out a frustrated sigh and was about to go and tackle the red head, until Sasuke's dad came down the stairs.

"Ah…Karin-san. It's a…pleasure to see you," Fugaku spoke calmly. Karin finally restrained herself from the Uchiha teen and bowed down politely.

"Konichiwa, Uchiha-sama. I'm here on behalf of the Gane family to discuss the current situations," She said respectively. Fugaku nodded silently and motioned for her to sit down on a chair.

Karin crossed her slender, naked legs and smiled coyly. Everyone was giving her a harsh stare, but no one said anything. The red head cleared her throat loudly and pushed up her glasses.

"I'm sure my father has talked to you about our partnership," She said first. Sasuke's father nodded.

"Yes. Even though the situation is a bit unfair, I know what may happen to our partnership," He replied. Karin frowned for a second, but began smiling again.

"Well, then…I'm basically here to discuss the wedding plans," She said smoothly. Mikoto frowned.

"Um…excuse me?" Mikoto said. Karin turned to face her. "Yes, Uchiha-sama?" She questioned.

"Well, there's a problem. My son is already in love with someone else," She replied, quite happily. The girl sighed.

"We'll just have to break the news to that girl, now, won't we?" Karin asked, looking at Fugaku now. Sakura's breathing hitched a bit, and Sasuke quickly looked at her. Ino and Naruto nearly stood up from their seats, but Shikamaru held them back. Itachi crossed his arms and shook his head. Rain's hands were balled up into fists.

"I'm afraid…" Fugaku started. "You can't do that," He finished. Karin's smile completely disappeared this time.

"Uchiha-sama, my father can completely cut our relationship with the Uchiha Company. It won't do anything to us. We can make more partnerships in a matter of weeks. But your company is going to have more trouble pulling through. And I know for a fact, that Uchiha's are very protective about their pride and honor," She answered back as she clicked her heels on the floor.

Before Fugaku could say anything else, Karin began talking again. "Besides, who's this girl that Sasuke-kun is 'in love' with?" She asked distastefully. The room was silent for a few seconds.

"That would be me," Sakura said as she stepped up. Karin quietly looked at her, up and down. The pink-haired girl stood there timidly, waiting.

"Pink hair…chubby face…flat chest…no defined leg shape…hm…" The red-haired girl spoke confidently. "I really don't see what's so special about you," She stated.

"As if you're any better!" Ino shouted and Shikamaru quickly put a hand over her mouth.

"Ino's right!" Yumi yelled. Everyone was surprised. Ino gave her a confused look.

"You think it would be right to come in here, and ask Sasuke to marry you, threatening him with the Uchiha-Gane partnership?" Yumi blurted out angrily. Sakura looked at her gratefully. Karin stared hard at her and her eyes did not phase.

"At least I know how to deal with things. You're just some girl who's hopelessly in love with someone who hates her," The red-haired girl countered back. Yumi's throat went dry, and she found it hard for her to say anything else.

"I don't hate Yumi," Sasuke said seriously. Yumi craned her neck to look at him, and she was nearly in tears.

"Sure, she gets annoying sometimes. But…I don't hate her. I couldn't. I've known her since we were little, and the worse thing she's done was…loving me. I can say that you are one of the worst people on this planet," Sasuke said clearly, without a pause. Karin looked at him in shock.

"You're kidding me, right?" She said loudly. But she quickly calmed down, and merely began smiling again.

"But…I know you would never risk your precious Uchiha Company," She pointed out, mainly looking at Fugaku. He gritted his teeth, and nearly looked helpless. Itachi quickly stepped forward and put a comforting hand on his father's shoulder.

"Father, call off the wedding," He said clearly. Karin cocked up an eyebrow. "Hm? Are you really sure about that?" She asked, taunting him. He smirked.

"I'm sure of this. We may be in debt for a while. But once I take over this company, I'll definitely turn that around," Itachi said, determined. Rain smiled from behind him.

Fugaku turned around to face him, speechless, but grateful. Karin scoffed.

"Things won't always go as planned, you know," She replied carelessly.

"No…I'm pretty sure this time," Itachi answered back, crossing his arms. Karin frowned. "So…" Itachi continued smoothly.

"You can go threaten someone else into marrying you, but not Sasuke," He finished. The red head stood up from her seat.

"You Uchiha are all full of bullshit anyway!" She yelled as she picked up her bags. "But know this," She stated.

"This won't be the last time you see me," Karin said angrily. Sakura walked forward. "Ah, you came all this way! So…would you still like to stay?" She asked politely. Karin glared at her.

"Stop trying to be such a good girl. I'd actually rather not stay here with people like you," She replied harshly. Sakura sighed. "Okay…" She trailed off.

Without another word, Karin summoned one of her servants outside to carry her bags, and left the summer home. Ino yawned and stretched loudly.

"Well! That went a lot shorter than I expected!" The blonde announced. Hinata let out a sigh of relief and sank deeper into the couch. "I-I'm glad she's…gone," She said.

Mikoto turned to her husband, worried.

"Gaku-chan…" She started. To everyone's surprise, the man chuckled lowly.

"Huh…I'm sure my eldest son will be able to take care of things just fine in the future," He said, smirking. Itachi seemed speechless for a while, before replying, "I won't disappoint you,"

* * *

"Ino-chan…what a day!" Sakura said loudly as the two crashed onto her bed. Ino grinned.

"That Karin got what she deserved!" The blonde shouted happily. Sakura smiled lightly, then sat up.

"Ah…you know…Yumi-chan isn't that bad," She said thoughtfully. Ino nodded slowly.

"Yeah…maybe should do something special for her…" Ino replied honestly.

_Knock knock…_

"Eh? Come in!" Sakura called out. The door opened and she instantly blushed. The blonde girl next to her grinned.

"Hm? Sasuke? Why are you here at one in the morning?" Ino asked, suggestively. Sasuke's cheeks turned pink and he didn't say anything. Ino rolled her eyes.

"I see…you want me to leave. Well, I think I'll just stay here the rest of the night," She said stubbornly. The look the Uchiha gave her almost frightened her. She shuddered slightly.

"Actually…I think I'll spend the night with Shika-chan! Goodnight, Sakura-chan!" The blonde said as she quickly left the room. Sakura giggled.

"Sasuke-kun, you're so scary!" Sakura said. He ruffled his hair and sat down on the bed next to her. "Am I?" He asked in that rare, extremely deep tone of voice. She blushed. Then, sighed, causing Sasuke to give her a worried look.

He merely cocked up an eyebrow at her in wonder.

"The company"— She started, but Sasuke quickly cut her off.

"The company will be okay. Sure, we'll have some difficulties for a few years, but in the end, it'll be fine," He assured her. She frowned.

"If you just marry Karin, then you guys won't have to go through those bad years…" She pointed out. The Uchiha groaned and shook his head.

"You don't get it," He mumbled. She frowned. "Get what?" She questioned. He scooted closer to her, unaware of her embarrassed face.

"Sakura, we're doing this for you. I'm sure you'd rather have the company suffer than have me being miserable, right?" Sasuke asked. She widened her eyes, realizing that she had never thought of it like that.

"Y-yes…" She replied. He ruffled her hair.

"Then stop worrying," Sasuke told her strictly. Sakura looked up at him and smiled brightly.

"Well…you'd better get some sleep now. We're probably going to do a lot tomorrow," Sasuke said as he stood up from the bed.

But she grabbed his wrist and stopped him from walking away. He turned around, confused.

"Can you…stay?" The pink-haired girl asked him with a pouting face. Sasuke looked at her carefully.

"I…I think it would be better if you slept by yourself tonight," He replied with some difficulty. She pouted even more.

"Why?" She asked him. He shook his head. "Good night,"

And with that, he left the room and closed the door. Sakura was left completely confused and hurt.

'_Why…?'_

**END OF DAY JULY 16**

* * *

**A/N: This is crap. It really is, haha. BUT, I'm already working on the next chapter! The next chapter is half way done, and I'm probably going to release it sometime next week! **


	9. Sasuke's Feelings

**A/N: Here you go! **

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Nine**

**000**

**JULY 17**

'_Why? Why didn't he want to stay with me? Is he…is he getting…tired of me? I…I'm confused…'_

Sakura sat on top of her bed in the morning for a good twenty minutes, just thinking about Sasuke.

Her pink hair was a mess and it was spread out in all places. Her eyes were unfocused and blurry, and her mouth was hanging slightly open.

There was a loud knock on the door, but she didn't feel like responding.

"Sakura! Are you there?" Ino's high pitched voice was heard from the other side of the door.

"Forehead! I know you're in there!" She continued with a frustrated sigh. Sakura merely sat on top of her pillows, looking lifeless.

"Okay! I'm opening the door now!" And with that, the blonde opened the door and was surprised to see Sakura just sitting down on the bed. She rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey? Are you okay? You look terrible," Ino asked with an extremely concerned tone. Sakura shook her head slowly.

"Look, I'm going to go and get Sasuke so he can comf"—

All senses came back to Sakura and she jumped up, yelling, "No!"

Ino froze in her spot, shocked.

"Did something happen?" The blonde asked her, frowning. The pink-haired girl sighed.

"I…I think Sasuke-kun doesn't like me anymore…" She said sadly. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Sakura, why would Sasuke stop liking you? If you think it's about Karin or Yumi, then it's not. He likes you," She explained to her. Sakura didn't reply and pouted.

"Anyway…" Ino said, putting her hands on her hips. "Come down to breakfast, okay?" She said before leaving.

After five long minutes, Sakura stood up and went to the bathroom to freshen herself up.

000

"Sasuke, did you do anything yesterday to set Sakura off?" That was the first thing that came out of Ino's mouth once she saw the Uchiha. He frowned.

"I suppose…" Sasuke replied, causing Ino to widen her bright blue eyes.

"Seriously? What the hell did you do?" She demanded.

"Nothing," He muttered. Ino sughed dramatically.

"You just admitted that you did something!" She pointed out. Then, Sakura came down the stairs and the blonde stopped talking.

"Good morning!" Sakura greeted cheerfully. Both Ino and Sasuke frowned at her.

"Sakura"— Sasuke started, but the said girl walked right passed him.

"Mikoto-san, do you need help cooking?" She asked, smiling. Mikoto, unaware of what was going on, shook her head with a grin.

"It's fine. Iko-chan and I just finished," She replied. Sakura nodded in understanding and went to go talk to Naruto. Sasuke watched her the whole time.

000

"These eggs are too salty, Iko!" Naruto complained before drinking some juice. Iko glared at him.

"If you don't like it, then don't eat it, Naruto!" She shot back angrily.

"Ah…don't fight…" Hinata said quite helplessly, but Naruto obeyed her.

Sasuke silently took a seat next to Sakura, who didn't spare him a glance.

She filled her plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, peas, a slice of toasted and buttered bread and sausage. To see what her reaction would be, Sasuke got the exact same thing. She didn't say anything, and didn't look at him.

As she was putting a spoonful of peas into her mouth, a pea fell and landed between her nude thighs. On impulse, Sasuke reached down to get the pea, but once his hand touched her warm thigh, he pulled back and looked away with pink cheeks.

She looked over to him, confused. Ino, who was sitting on the other side of Sakura, witnessed this, and understood now. She smiled coyly.

"Ah…Sakura, your thighs are so slim and smooth," Ino commented as she put a hand on one of Sakura's thighs. The girl blushed.

"W-why are you saying this all of a sudden?" Sakura asked, embarrassed. Sasuke refused to look her way. Naruto looked at his blushing face and grinned.

"Because it's true," The blonde continued as she stroked Sakura's thigh quickly. The pink-haired girl jumped up with a squeak.

"I-Ino-pig…!" She yelled out, her face now turning red. "Stop!" She whined.

Sasuke quickly stood up from the table, muttering, "Excuse me,"

"Ino, why are you doing this?" Sakura questioned her best friend. Ino smirked. "I'll talk to you about it after breakfast," She whispered back, smiling happily.

000

Sakura sat down on the couch, wondering about everything now. Then, Ino flopped onto the couch beside her, smiling widely.

"Sakura, you shouldn't be that mad at Sasuke. I mean, he _is_ a guy and all," She pointed out. Sakura frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" The pink-haired girl stated. She looked over to see a red faced Sasuke talking to an entertained and laughing Naruto by the stairs.

"Tsk tsk," Ino shook her head.

"You see, Sasuke's _attracted_ to you," Ino told the girl. Sakura looked even more confused.

"I know he likes me," She said. Ino sighed loudly.

"You're so slow! Because of you, Sasuke's thinking perverted thoughts," The blonde said, whispering the last sentence. Sakura's cheeks turned pink. "W…wha…? H-how?" She stuttered.

"The reason why he didn't get the pea that fell was because he touched your thigh. The reason why he acted weird towards you yesterday, was because he probably thought he was going to turn into a full out pervert. He's worried he might do… 'things' to you," Ino explained, but Sakura shook her head.

"I…I don't want to hear anymore of that…!" She said.

"Well…you should probably go talk to Sasuke either way. He thinks you hate him," Ino told her. Sakura nodded calmly and got up off the couch.

As she was walking towards Sasuke, Naruto saw her and quickly began nudging the Uchiha. Sasuke smacked him in annoyance, but turned around and quickly turned back, pushing Naruto away. Sakura smiled softly. He was acting like a little boy.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said when she was finally standing in front of him. Sasuke looked embarrassed.

"Sakura, I'm sorr"—

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura interrupted, catching the Uchiha off guard. "Eh?" He asked.

"Ino's right. You're a guy and you have every right to think perverted thoughts," She blurted out. He blushed and looked away.

'_Saying things like that so easily…the idiot…'_

"That's…embarrassing," He mumbled. But he shook his head and put on a serious face.

"But now you know the reason why I didn't want to stay with you last night, right?" He asked. She nodded slowly.

"Because you were thinking perverted thoughts…?" She said. Sasuke nodded, though his face was turning red.

"I…I'm beginning to find that I can't control myself like before," He admitted.

"I thought you didn't like me anymore…" Sakura said honestly. Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't think that," He told her. She smiled up at him.

"Sakura-chan! Can I talk to you for a while?" Naruto called out to her. Sasuke eyed him suspiciously, but let her go.

"Ah…what is it, Naruto?" The pink-haired girl asked curiously. Naruto leaned closer to her to whisper into her ear.

"Well…I'm pretty sure Sasuke told you about 'that', right?" He asked. She blushed, and nodded. "Hai…" She murmured. He frowned.

"I just wanted to tell you to be careful from now on," Naruto told her. She tilted her head to the side, confused.

"Sasuke…teme is extremely perverted. I guess he's beginning to be a bit like Itachi. Anyway," Naruto continued and Sakura began to listen intently.

"If Sasuke makes any sort of move on you, push him away and say 'no'. That should stop him effectively, especially since it's you," Naruto said. Sakura nodded. Then, she began to worry.

"W…what if he decides to make a move on Yumi-chan or Karin…?" She asked. The blond grinned.

"That'll never happen!" He assured her. Sakura looked up at him hopefully. "I hope you're right…" She whispered.

"A…Ah, there you are, Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she walked towards the two. Sakura gave her a small smile.

"I-Ino-chan said that she would like to go to the ice cream parlor," The female Hyuuga told them.

_Knock knock!_

"Mou, what's up with uninvited people these days?" Ino whined grumpily as went to go open the door. The door opened to reveal a tall smiling man with flat, dark hair.

"Hello, beautiful," He greeted the blonde kindly, but it seemed a bit fake. Sakura titlted her head to the side, curiously. He was quite adorable. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Stop calling me that. I know what you mean, Sai," She replied disdainfully.

"Ah! Sai-kun, how'd you know we were here?" Mikoto asked as she came out of the kitchen. Sai smiled sweetly at her.

"I heard from Karin-san. I just thought it'd be nice to spend a few days with you all," Sai said as he showed them his luggage. Mikoto nodded.

"Yes, yes! Iko-chan! Can you guide Sai-kun to an empty room?" She called out. In a few seconds, Iko rushed towards them and bowed down respectively.

"Hello, Sai-san! This way, please," She said as she picked up his luggage.

Sai looked over towards Sakura and looked at her in wonderment. Sakura's eyes slightly widened and she avoided eye contact with him, fidgeting awkwardly.

"Ah…Iko-chan? Can I get a room next to her?" He asked simply, pointing at the pink-haired girl. Ino and Sasuke glared at him. Sakura looked surprised and confused.

"Iko-chan, can you put him in a room as far away as possible from Sakura?" Ino questioned rudely. Iko looked around, not knowing exactly what to do.

"No. It's fine, Iko-chan. Listen to whatever he requests," Sasuke told her calmly. Ino looked at him in disbelief, but said nothing. Iko nodded slowly. "Hai…this way, Sai-san,"

When the two were both out of ear shot, Ino turned to the Uchiha and poked his chest.

"Are you insane? You're seriously putting Sakura in danger now. Sai's a total freak!" She yelled out. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"She'll be fine. Sai won't even be able to enter her room as long as I'm around,"

000

"Ah, hello!" Sai said cheerfully as he entered Sakura's room without knocking. The girl jumped up from her chair and quickly hid the diary she was currently writing in.

"Hm…so girls still write to let out their feelings?" He questioned as he walked closer to her. She seemed confused and maybe even scared.

"I…I suppose…" The pink-haired girl trailed off. Then, Sai smiled warmly at her.

"I'm Sai. What's your name?" He suddenly asked. She blinked in honest confusion, but answered, nonetheless.

"Sakura," She replied quietly. He nodded.

"You're quite interesting," Sai stated simply. Sakura fidgeted awkwardly in her seat, having no idea what to say.

"You're…ugly," He continued and she looked up at him, but tried her best to hide her offense.

"Ano…" Sakura started. But the door was thrown open and Sasuke stood there, glaring at Sai.

"You know, I never thought you'd be so annoying, Sai," The Uchiha said, annoyed. Sakura felt relieved.

"Hm? I was just here to introduce myself. And I was just telling Sakura how _ugly_ she is," The other man said calmly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Sakura is _not_ ugly. No where near that," He replied with clenched fists. Sai smiled and Sakura felt chills run up her spine.

"Whatever you say. Well, I'm going to go sleep now. Good night," When the sound of the door closing was heard, Sakura realized what situation she was in. She looked awkwardly towards Sasuke, who was glaring at the door.

"That bastard. Don't listen to what he says," He told her. Sakura nodded slowly. He sighed and sat down on the bed.

"Relax," He said simply, looking at her with slightly sad eyes. "This is why I was afraid of telling you. You look at me differently now," Sasuke pointed out. She blinked.

"I…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"If there's one thing I never want, it's that I don't want you looking at me in _fear_," The Uchiha spoke honestly. Sakura suddenly felt guilty.

'_That's right…Sasuke won't do anything. I have to trust him,' _

Slowly, the pink-haired girl stood up, walked over to him, and hugged him tightly. He rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes calmly.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun," Sakura told him. He nodded.

"Sakura," He said quietly. She pulled back to look at him. "Yes?"

"I'll think I'll stay here tonight," Sasuke said. She smiled happily.

"Hai, Sasuke-kun,"

**END JULY 17**

**A/N: Sweet enough for you? More like cheesy, haha. **


	10. Sounds of Laughter

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! I actually thought I wouldn't be getting any at all! Oh, and for the person who asked if I'm making a third installation of ****Rich Boy, Poor Heart****, I'm not going to. Sorry! **

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Ten**

**000**

**JULY 18**

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered, poking the said man's nose. He opened his eyes and glared at her playfully, reaching over to poke her own nose.

She giggled and hid under the blankets. Sasuke was about to dive in after her, but a voice interrupted him.

"Ahem…" Rain stood there with her arms crossed, and a suggestive look on her face.

"Well, looks like you two are having fun," She commented, making Sakura blush. Sasuke scoffed and sat up.

"Why are you here, anyway?" He asked grumpily. Rain laughed softly.

"Eh…no need to be so angry because of my interruption. I just wanted to tell you guys that breakfast is ready," She replied. Sakura nodded happily and stood up.

"C'mon, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said cheerfully.

"Hn…" He muttered back as he let himself be dragged by the pink-haired girl.

"Sakura-chan! Teme! We're going to a fair today!" Naruto shouted from the dining table. Sasuke cocked up an eyebrow.

"Fair?" He questioned. Naruto grinned widely.

"Yeah! There's a fair down a few miles from us. Itachi saw it when he drove around in the morning," He explained cheerfully. Sakura smiled.

"Sounds great!" She replied. Ino cheered.

"Then, it's decided! We're going to the fair today!" The blond yelled.

"May I go?" Sai asked as he came down from the stairs. No one talked for a few seconds.

"Ano…it'd be nice to have you around," Sakura said unsurely. Sasuke gave her a look, and she merely shrugged back. Sai smiled.

"Thank you," He replied. He went back upstairs.

"Sakura, are you crazy?" Sasuke instantly asked her. The said girl frowned.

"Sai's a nice guy…" Sakura replied back. He sighed.

"He called you ugly last night," He pointed out. Naruto gaped at them.

"He did?" He shouted. They all looked at Sakura as she slowly nodded her head. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Geez, I forgot that you two only knew him for a year," The blonde said, looking at Naruto and Sasuke. Then, she grinned at Sakura.

"I told you, Sai's a freak. Sometimes, he says the exact opposite of what he means," Ino explained carefully. "It's almost as if he doesn't know how to be human," She added.

Sakura blushed lightly, and Sasuke seemed quite alarmed. Naruto laughed.

"Then…then that means he thinks Sakura-chan's **hot**?" He asked, then earned a smack from the Uchiha. Ino smirked.

"Yup," She replied. Then, Naruto began laughing even more.

"Yesterday…he called you 'beautiful'. That means he meant"—

He didn't get to finish, because Ino had hit him harshly in the face. "He's just getting revenge," Ino huffed. Sakura looked confused.

"Revenge for what?" She asked curiously.

Shikamaru, who was sitting next to Ino, tensed slightly. "I don't like you talking about him, Ino," He mumbled. Ino waved a hand at him.

"Don't worry, Shika-chan! You're still my one and only!" She cooed. Shikamaru simply rolled his eyes and let her continue with the explanation.

"Well, it's pretty simple. We dated for a while. Then I broke up with him," Ino beamed. Sakura blinked.

"There's no…story?" She questioned. Ino shook her head.

"Eh…not really!" She replied. Sakura sighed.

"Okay then," She said, knowing that arguing with Ino was useless.

"Anyway, we should get ready for that fair. I want to be there as soon as possible!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist into the air. Sakura smiled warmly and looked up at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, do you like ferris wheels?" Sakura asked him. He cocked up an eyebrow.

"They're…okay," He answered back. The pink-haired girl laughed.

"I like ferris wheels! We'll go on one, okay?" She said before going up the stairs to her room.

**000**

"That…was a horrible ride…" Naruto groaned as he covered his mouth. Hinata looked over at him shyly and patted his back. "N-Naruto-kun?"

He forced a grin. "I…get motion sickness easily," He said, his face turning green. Hinata smiled softly as wrapped her arms around his.

"Maybe we should go sit down somewhere?" She suggested, concerned. He smiled down at her.

"That sounds great. Can we get a funnel cake too?" He asked excitedly, causing Hinata to sweat drop.

'_Wasn't he just getting sick a few seconds ago…?'_

Ino rolled her eyes at Naruto.

"It's so obvious that he just wants to spend time with Hinata," She said. Sakura looked unsure.

"I guess…but he really did look sick before," The pink-haired girl pointed out. Sasuke scoffed.

"The dobe recovers fast," He explained. Then, Sakura giggled. "They're so cute," She said, watching as the two slowly mixed into the crowd of people.

Sasuke frowned. He grabbed Sakura's hand and she looked up at him, confused.

"We're cute too," He murmured like a child, and she laughed softly at him.

"_You're_ cute," She told him. He rolled his eyes. "And so are you," He said quietly, so the rest of their group couldn't hear. She blushed, but stubbornly shook her head.

Before they knew it, the couple had separated themselves from the main group and was now walking on their own.

Sakura looked up at the lighted sakura lanterns.

"Ano…are you hungry?" She asked him curiously. He smirked.

"You're hungry," Sasuke stated simply. She smiled and nodded. He looked around casually.

"Well…what do you want to eat?" The Uchiha asked her. Sakura looked excited.

"Ice cream!" she chirped. He frowned.

"It's too cold for that," Sasuke told her. She rolled her eyes.

"You worry too much. Besides, I have a jacket on…and it's not even that cold," The pink-haired girl pointed out. He sighed.

"Okay…there's a stall right there. What flavor?" Sasuke asked her.

"Strawberry," She replied. He smirked. "Hn…I should've known. Well, just wait here," He told her strictly.

"Mou…Sasuke-kun, I can buy and pay for it myself," She complained.

"Sakura, I'm just trying to be a good boyfriend right now," Sasuke answered back. "There's no point arguing with me anymore," He added before walking away to the ice cream stall.

Sakura sighed and sat down on a bench behind her.

"Fancy seeing you here," A voice said to her. The girl jumped and looked over to her side to see Sai sitting there, smiling at her.

"Hello, Sai-san," Sakura said, a bit surprised. He continued smiling.

"Ano…Ino-chan told me about your personality…and what you actually meant when you called me 'ugly'…" She trailed off nervously. She noticed his smile falter just a little. But he didn't say anything.

"Sai-kun…you're a sweet guy," Sakura told him, smiling happily. This time, his smile completely disappeared and he looked extremely confused.

"People say I have no emotions," He replied. She shook her head.

"You do. You just have trouble expressing them," She explained to him carefully.

"Whatever you're feeling…just say it," Sakura added. Sai stared at her, wondering what to do next.

"Sai," A new voice came into the conversation. The two looked over to see Sasuke, standing with a strawberry ice cream cone. He silently handed it over to Sakura, who took it reluctantly.

"Sasuke-kun…" She whispered.

"Sai, go somewhere else," Sasuke said. Sai frowned, and Sasuke nearly looked surprised.

"Even Sasuke has more emotion than I do," Sai stated, looking over at Sakura.

"Thank you, Sakura-san," Sai told her before standing up and walking away. Sakura looked after him, until he faded into the crowd.

"Sasuke-kun, you're mean," Sakura pouted. Sasuke groaned.

"Sakura, I didn't even say anything to him," He told her. She took a few licks of her ice cream before talking again.

"You told him to go somewhere else!" She said loudly. Sasuke frowned then reached over to tuck a bunch of pink locks behind her ear.

"Look…I'll apologize to him later. Okay?" He told her. Sakura blushed and nodded.

"Sasuke-kun?" She called out before licking some of her ice cream.

"Hn?" He responded.

"Don't you think we should go and join everyone else now?" She asked him. Sasuke smirked.

"Hn. Everyone's probably split up already anyways," He pointed out.

"Why, you don't like being with me?" He teased. Sakura blushed and shook her head furiously.

"I like spending time with Sasuke-kun…!" She told him, pouting. He put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"I was just teasing," Sasuke told her, still smirking.

"Hn!" She imitated, sticking her tongue out at him cutely.

**000**

"Itachi, I've been thinking lately…" Rain started, grabbing his attention.

"Do you really like me?" She asked seriously. Itachi sighed heavily.

"Rain, that is a stupid question," He told her. She frowned. "You don't like me…?" She asked.

"That's a stupid assumption," Itachi said, smirking.

"Then…if you like me…why?" Rain asked, looking at him carefully.

"There's no one else like you," Itachi told her and Rain laughed.

"Itachi-kun, you can't tell me cheesy stuff. There are at least a hundred other girls just like me," She pointed out. Itachi sighed again.

"Do I have to explain every little thing to you?" He asked, sitting down on a bench. She sat down beside him.

"That'd be nice," The dark-haired girl replied.

"Okay…first off," He started and Rain sat up, smiling.

"Your annoying personality interests me," Itachi said and she glared at him playfully.

"But…you're caring. Sweet," He continued before she had any chance to hit him. He glanced at her. "Pretty," She blushed back.

"Now…" He said, looking at her. "Why do _you_ like _me_?" Itachi questioned. Rain rolled her eyes.

"You're Uchiha Itachi, that's why," She replied in an instant. He blinked.

"You know what, I should've just given you an answer like that," Itachi sighed. She reached over, and to his surprise, she pinched his nose.

"But you're still Uchiha Itachi. And I like you," Rain stated, grinning.

"But Uchiha Itachi's done a lot of bad things," Itachi pointed out, pinching her nose back. She shrugged.

"Rain forgives Uchiha Itachi and will accept him no matter what," She replied.

"Even if we have trouble maintaining the company?" Itachi questioned. She nodded happily.

"Even if we have trouble maintaining the company," Rain answered back.

"_The fireworks will occur in about an hour. The best places to watch the fireworks would be the hills towards the entrance or exit of the fair," _A voice from the intercom said loudly.

Rain jumped up excitedly.

"Itachi-kun, let's see the fireworks!" She shouted. Itachi ruffled his hair, but nodded and agreed nonetheless.

**000**

"Fireworks!" Sakura yelled after hearing the intercom. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Didn't we just see fireworks at the last festival?" He asked her, just a bit annoyed. Sakura pouted.

"But fireworks are really fun to watch…" She told him.

"Sakura, I don't really feel like watching fireworks," He told her truthfully. He had expected her to pout and whine, but surprisingly, she just giggled.

"Okay then! What does Sasuke-kun want to do?" She asked.

"Anything _except_ watch the fireworks," He muttered back. Sakura beamed.

"You know…I think now's a good time to go on the ferris wheel," She told him. Sasuke looked behind them to look at the lit up ferris wheel.

"Cake?" He asked. Sakura rose an eyebrow. "Cake?" She asked back, confused.

"I'm pretty sure you'd like to eat some cake up there," The Uchiha told her. Sakura blinked, then grinned at him.

"Yes, please!"

**000**

"Sakura, I'm glad you're becoming more used to this," Sasuke told her as they sat across from each other in one of the ferris wheel stalls. She titled her head to the side.

"Used to what?" She asked.

"Used to…me. And my mom. You're…not as selfless," The Uchiha explained. Sakura pouted.

"Really? It's not good to become more selfish…" She said sadly. He smirked and patted her head.

"You were way too selfless before. I'll always like you," Sasuke said. She hesistated, before smiling up at him happily.

"Want some?" The pink-haired girl asked, showing him a forkful of powdered sugar funnel cake. He grimaced and moved it away.

"Hn..." He replied. She giggled.

"Sasuke-kun, funnel cake is good! It's not too sweet, I promise," Sakura told him, not ready to back down until he ate some. Sasuke sighed heavily.

"Sweet or not, you know I don't like things like that," He said. She frowned.

"And you know I can't finish this by myself," She answered back. Sasuke glanced over at her, before standing up and sitting right beside her. She blushed slightly.

"Let me see the fork," He said, reaching over for it. Sakura gave it to me without a question. Carefully, Sasuke stabbed some funnel cake onto the fork.

"You better not have been lying when you said it wasn't that sweet…" Sasuke warned her before putting the fork in his mouth. Sakura smiled and watched him carefully as he chewed.

After a while, he swallowed and nodded. "It…wasn't that bad," Sasuke commented, reaching over for some more cake. Sakura giggled.

"Sasuke-kun! This is mine!" She whined playfully. He rolled his eyes. "Didn't you say you need help finishing?" He asked.

"I was kidding! You can have as much as you'd like!" Sakura said happily. He put more cake on the fork, but to her surprise, he didn't put it in his mouth.

"Say 'ahhh'," Sasuke teased, putting the fork in front of her mouth. She smiled and obeyed.

"Ah!" She opened her mouth. She ate the cake gratefully. Sasuke watched her with an amused face.

"My turn!" The pink-haired girl chirped.

They continued feeding each other until the whole funnel cake was completely gone. Sakura sat back with a content sigh.

"I really like moments like these," She told him. He scooted closer to her. "Like what?" Sasuke asked.

"These cute couple moments…" Sakura trailed off as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. "Feeding each other funnel cake…in a ferris wheel," She said softly.

"There's something missing," Sasuke told her. Sakura opened her eyes and looked at him curiously.

He put his face closer to hers, and she suddenly understood what he meant. Sasuke carefully put his hands on her shoulder and brought her closer, until…

_CRACK CRASH BOOOOM!_

"Kya!" Sakura yelped when they heard the fireworks. Sasuke sighed heavily.

"Why would they put the fireworks right next to the ferris wheel?" He said unhappily. Sakura giggled lightly.

"Stuff like this always seems to happen…" Sasuke continued muttering. "Saku"—

He was cut off because Sakura had tackled him into a tight hug.

"Sakura? What was that for?"

She snuggled closer.

"I…really like you, Sasuke-kun," The pink-haired girl told him. Sasuke blinked, then smirked slightly as he returned the hug.

"Hn…" He replied back as she smiled against his chest.

**000**

"Ehh? You guys went on the ferris wheel too?" Ino shouted when she saw Sakura and Sasuke getting out of their little stall.

Soon afterwards, Hinata and Naruto came out, followed by Ten Ten and Neji, then finally Rain and Itachi.

"We all went on the ferris wheel at the same time?" Ino asked, surprised and amused at the same time.

The group all looked at each other, confused, until they all burst out laughing happily.

**END JULY 18**

**A/N: You know, I'm really bad at writing about other couples. I'll try and make it up in the future somehow though! **

**Anyway, I have links in my profile leading to my myspace and tumblr. I also have a ****tumblr ask****, in which you can anonymously (or un-anonymously) ask me anything. It can be about my stories, personal life, tell me to update, etc. **


	11. Karin's Return

**A/N: I have to get all the way to day 'July 30', since Naruto told Sakura that they're staying together for twenty days, and I can't just cut that short. I'm running out of ideas! **

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Eleven**

**000**

_"Ehh? You guys went on the ferris wheel too?" Ino shouted when she saw Sakura and Sasuke getting out of their little stall._

_Soon afterwards, Hinata and Naruto came out, followed by Ten Ten and Neji, then finally Rain and Itachi._

_"We all went on the ferris wheel at the same time?" Ino asked, surprised and amused at the same time._

_The group all looked at each other, confused, until they all burst out laughing happily._

**END JULY 18**

**000**

**JULY 19**

"Yumi-chan…?"

The blonde girl whipped around, and turned back with a scoff.

"Why the hell are _you_ up so early?"

"Sometimes, I wake up really early…"

"Well, go back to sleep. The freaking sun isn't even up and I want to be alone."

"Ano…Yumi-chan…I want us to be friends," Sakura finally declared. Yumi gave her a look and glared.

"Do you think I can be friends with someone I don't even like?" The blonde asked, getting furious. Sakura frowned, but continued.

"If this is about Sasuke-kun…" The pink-haired girl drifted off. Yumi rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Of course this is about Sasuke-kun. We've been neighbors for years. I've known him longer. I saw him first. But then you came in and ruined everything…" She told her harshly.

"I didn't know…" Sakura replied back sadly. Yumi scoffed again.

"Of course you didn't. As if Sasuke-kun would tell you about someone like me," She said unhappily. Sakura walked closer to her.

"I…I'm not planning on giving Sasuke-kun up anytime soon, but…" Sakura started, and Yumi glanced over at her.

"I still want us to become friends during this vacation," The pink-haired girl told her honestly.

"Go away. Just get out. I don't need any sympathy, especially from some annoying girl like you. And drop the innocent-trying-to-make-me-feel-bad act. I don't care if you don't want to give him up. I'm not going to give him to someone that easily," Yumi answered back, pushing Sakura away lightly.

Sakura stepped back, but smiled at her. Yumi looked away with an annoyed look.

**000**

"Sakura! There's an emergency!" Ino yelled as the said girl was coming down the stairs.

"H-huh?" Sakura asked, both alerted and confused. Ino let out a deep breath.

"She's back. Karin's back," The blonde told her. Sakura frowned.

"Is she…is she still going to try and marry Sasuke-kun?" She asked.

"Most likely. There's no other reason she would come back," Ino replied. Naruto looked out the window and cursed.

"Can't she just chase after some other guy?" He asked, annoyed.

"Anyway," Naruto turned to Sakura.

"We told everyone else in the house already. Sasuke's up hiding in Hinata's room because Karin's not likely to look in there. And we're going to tell her that Sasuke went out on a short business trip thing and won't be back for another week, okay?" He told Sakura carefully.

The pink-haired girl nodded and looked quite anxiously out the window. Karin was stepping out of the car, looking beautiful as always.

"Open up! I know you guys are there!" She called out rudely by the door. Ino put on a fake smile as she reached for the door knob.

"Karin! What are you doing here?" Ino said in a false pleasant tone. Karin rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Shut up and drop the act. You know why I'm here," The red head told her. Ino gritted her teeth.

"For your information, Sasuke's not even here. He's on a business trip and he won't be back for a week," The blonde replied. Sakura was surprised at how convincing Ino sounded.

"You think I'll believe something like that? Let me in and I'll search this whole place for him," Karin demanded. Ino smiled widely.

"Be my guest," She replied, stepping back to let the red head in.

Naruto grinned.

"Go ahead and search the whole house! Even check Hinata-chan's room, because he's definitely not in there!" He shouted.

Then, realizing what he had just said, he muttered, "Oops."

Ino looked at him in disbelief and resisted the growing urge to smack him. Karin smirked.

"Hinata's room? That'll be the first place I check," She said and Sakura widened her eyes in slight fear.

"Oh, it's you," Karin said when she glanced over at Sakura. The pink-haired girl said nothing.

"Well, you and Sasuke might as well break up now. I have something he can't refuse to. He'll have to marry me this time," The red head said, flipping her hair. Sakura felt her breath get caught in her throat.

Karin began going up the stairs, and Naruto, Ino and Sakura followed silently. They knew they couldn't do anything now.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" The girl called out as she knocked on the door of Hinata's room. A curse was heard from the other side.

The door opened to reveal an annoyed looking Sasuke. His eyes instantly darted to Naruto.

"I knew you would tell her," He told him and Naruto let out a nervous laugh. Then, Sasuke looked towards Sakura, who tensed slightly.

He motioned her to come over to him and she listened, walking to him.

The Uchiha put her in front of him and put his hands on her shoulders. He looked at Karin, who merely smiled.

"Karin, this is the girl I've decided on. Nothing you do will change my mind. I'm not marrying you," Sasuke told her strictly. Karin sighed and flipped her red locks back.

"You're so stubborn Sasuke-kun. But you never really thought of what I could do to her, right?" She asked, pointing at Sakura. Sasuke was speechless for a few seconds.

"You can't," He merely said back. She rolled her eyes.

"Who do you think I am? I can do anything, Sasuke-kun. I can make nasty rumors about her. I can make her an outcast to the rest of Japan. I can make sure she never gets a job for the rest of her life," Karin explained coyly. Sasuke glared at her.

"Karin, that's going too low," He scoffed.

"I know," She answered back in a sugar coated tone.

"Karin, just go and get an actual life and leave Sasuke alone!" Ino yelled angrily.

"Shut up, this has nothing to do with you! I'll do whatever I want to get with Sasuke-kun," She said. Then, she looked back at Sakura.

"Imagine that girl getting hate mail from all of Japan. Imagine the hate sites. I can do so much and people will believe me. I can say that she ran off with most of the Uchiha's money, and people will **still** believe me," Karin told them.

"You can do whatever you want, Karin-san," Sakura told her, to everyone else's surprise.

"I can't take your word for that, dear. I'll give you until five days, July 4th, for you to really make up your mind. If you actually decide not to hand Sasuke-kun over, you'll see the results," Karin told her before leaving down the stairs.

The rest of the group waited until they heard the sound of the front door opening, and then closing.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto started. Sakura sighed, but looked up and smiled at him. Hinata gave her a concerned look.

"I won't give Sasuke-kun away to anyone. Not ever," The pink-haired girl said. The Uchiha hugged her from behind and her eyes widened slightly.

"Sakura, I can't just let you go ruin your life like this. She's done this to so many girls. And all of those girls went into hiding and nobody ever heard from them anymore," Sasuke told her. Ino nodded.

"It's happened to one of my friends, Sakura," She said. Sakura frowned.

"Then you guys just want me to let Karin marry Sasuke-kun…?" She asked, confused. The rest of them were silent.

"It'll keep you safe," Naruto finally said. Sakura felt a weird feeling in her heart. She couldn't imagine Sasuke and Karin next to the altar. She couldn't imagine herself just sitting there on one of the benches, watching.

Before she knew it, tears had flooded her eyes. They all panicked and quickly tried to comfort her.

"S-Sakura-san, we'll find some way to get passed Karin," Hinata said quickly. Sakura shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, don't marry her," She told him, her eyes getting teary again. Sasuke frowned.

"Hinata's right. We'll find a way around this," He told her and she began sobbing.

No one even told her that Sasuke definitely wasn't going to marry Karin.

**000**

"…And that's what happened…" Sasuke finished when he was finally done telling his dad about Karin. Fugaku frowned deeply.

"That girl never gives up," He stated. Ino nodded.

"You got that right," She huffed. Then, Fugaku turned to face Sakura.

"You are prepared for the worst, right? Karin can definitely ruin your life," Fugaku told her. Sakura looked surprised.

He understood. He understood that she wasn't prepared to give Sasuke away at any time.

"Yes," The pink-haired girl replied. Fugaku smirked lightly.

"Then if that's decided, we'll be alright," He stated and Sasuke frowned.

"I'm not letting Karin ruin her life," Sasuke interrupted.

"Sakura knows what she's doing," Fugaku replied strictly. Sasuke shook his head.

"She doesn't know," He said and Sakura felt a bit hurt. She took in a deep breath.

"Sasuke-kun, your Tou-san's right. I…I know what I'm doing," The pink-haired girl announced. Naruto and Ino exchanged looks of uncertainty.

"I…I know I'll have trouble at first…but I'll be okay. I have you guys," She told them, smiling. Naruto forced out a laugh.

"Sakura-chan…" He muttered.

"Sakura, I'm not let"—

"Sasuke," Fugaku cut him off. Sakura looked towards him gratefully.

"Sakura knows what she's doing. This is something I've learned from your mother," He said and Sasuke stayed silent, staring hard at the floor.

"Thank you, Uchiha-sama," Sakura said truthfully. Then, she looked over at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun…" She started. He glanced over at her and then grabbed her hand.

"Let's talk in private," He said quickly as he dragged her away from the small group. They went up the stairs and into his room.

"Sakura, I really don't want you to do this to yourself," Sasuke told her. She pouted.

"Don't worry about me anymore!" Sakura huffed. Sasuke shook his head.

"Of course I would worry," He pointed out. Finally, Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hands and looked him straight in the eye. He merely looked back at her with a slightly confused expression.

She smiled and something in his stomach just twisted.

"Trust me, Sasuke-kun. Everything will be okay," Sakura told him. With that smile on her face, he looked away guiltily. He still couldn't trust her to the fullest.

"Hn…" He replied, nonetheless. He squeezed her small hands and sighed.

"No more sighing until this is all over," Sakura said playfully. Sasuke merely smirked and sighed again.

**000**

Sai was sitting out in the back garden, admiring the flowers and vegetables Mikoto and Iko had put so much effort into growing.

On his lap was a large, blank sketchbook and a black pen. He had been sitting there since early morning, and had no plans to go inside any time soon.

"Sai-san!" A voice called out when he heard the door sliding open. The man turned around to see Sakura, clad in a little white dress, walking up to him with a pleasant smile on her face.

"I was wondering where you were," She told him. She stood right next to him, and he looked up at her curiously. She fidgeted.

"Ano…is it okay if I sit next to you?" The pink-haired girl finally asked. Sai stared at her for a few seconds and she looked nervous for a while.

"Yes," He replied simply. It seemed as if she let out a sigh of relief while she sat down. Sai glanced over at her.

She was too lazy to actually get dressed since she was still in her little white sleeping gown. Her long pink hair that was usually cascading down her back was now pulled up into a large, messy bun. The sun happened to bounce off of her skin the right way, making her complexion look white and perfectly clear. The way that the small pond below them reflected into her green eyes made her seem even prettier.

Sai had come to the conclusion that she was indeed beautiful.

"Um…Sai-san?" He heard her say. "Yes?" He asked. Sakura giggled lightly.

"I asked you something…but I guess you didn't hear it," She told him.

"What was it…?" Sai asked. Sakura smiled at him and pointed at his notebook.

"I asked why you have a notebook with you," She said. He looked down and hadn't realized the notebook on his lap was still empty and blank.

"I was supposed to draw something…" He started. "But I suppose I'm not sure what to draw anymore," He replied. Then, he looked over at Sakura.

"Can I draw you?" Sai asked. She blinked, surprised. She quickly tucked some hair behind her ear, embarrassed.

"Ano…why?" She asked. He looked down at the pond of koi fish before looking back at her.

"You're beautiful," He told her quite bluntly, and she blushed pink. But she quickly shook her head.

"Sai-san, that's"—

"I don't have a crush on you or anything," Sai interrupted her. She glanced up at him. "I just think you're beautiful," He finished bluntly, once again.

"You're…becoming better at this," Sakura told him.

"At…?" Sai was confused. She giggled.

"Showing your feelings. You're still a bit…blunt. But at least you're not using exact opposites now," She explained.

He couldn't help it. The corner of his lips turned up and Sakura stared at him in slight awe.

"How do you know I'm still not using exact opposites?" He asked her, smirking. This time, she beamed at him.

Before she knew it, Sai was drawing her. She looked down at the pond, too embarrassed to look straight at him for a long time.

Sai spent ten minutes at most, looking up at her, drawing, and repeating the process. Finally, he set the pen down and Sakura turned to face him.

"You're finished? That fast?" She asked him. He nodded and silently handed the notebook over to her.

Sakura took it from his hands gingerly and looked at the notebook. Her green eyes filled with awe and she opened her mouth. With every line, every detail and every shade, it almost seemed real.

"Sai-san…this is amazing…" She told him. He smiled, but it wasn't as genuine as the other one.

"Thank you. I'd like to keep it," He replied.

"Oh, right," Sakura said, handing him back the notebook.

"Are you sure you didn't exaggerate it though? I don't really look that dazzling," The pink-haired said, getting embarrassed again. He shook his head.

"I only draw what I see. I can't imagine," Sai answered back. She said nothing to this.

"I heard about Karin," Sai said suddenly, and she whipped her head around to look at him.

"Everyone was talking about it. I can hear a lot from out here," He explained before she could ask. Sakura sighed and brought her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees.

"She's…annoying," She said quietly.

"She's stubborn. She doesn't like to hand things over easily," Sai told her. Sakura frowned.

"Yeah…we probably have that in common…" Then, she instantly lifted her head up and Sai looked at her curiously.

Quickly, the pink-haired girl stood up.

"Thank you, Sai-san!" She told him before bowing down and running back inside the house. He looked down at the drawing and smiled lightly.

**000**

"Mikoto-san, what's Karin's address? I'm going to go visit her," Sakura declared.

Iko, who was standing next to Mikoto, dropped her mixing spoon and looked at Sakura in shock.

"_What?_" Both Iko and Mikoto said together.

**A/N: Little Sakura and Sai moment! But I'm just trying to develop Sai's character faster, haha. There won't be a huge love triangle or anything. At least I think so. Anyway, Sakura's going to go visit Karin! What will happen? **

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Sakura and Shikamaru

**A/N: Hello again! **

**I've read all the suggestions in the reviews and of course, I'm considering them. But since the next two or three chapters are actually already written, you probably won't see any of them until later, haha, sorry. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter though!**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Twelve**

**000**

_"Mikoto-san, what's Karin's address? I'm going to go visit her," Sakura declared._

_Iko, who was standing next to Mikoto, dropped her mixing spoon and looked at Sakura in shock._

_"__What?__" Both Iko and Mikoto said together._

**000 **

**CONTINUING JULY 19**

"S…say that again?" Mikoto asked, clearly surprised. Sakura sucked in a quick breath.

"Please give me Karin's address. I'm…going to go visit her," She repeated. Mikoto shook her head.

"Sakura, nothing you do can change her mind," She told her. Sakura frowned.

"I just…I just need to speak with her," The pink-haired girl replied. Mikoto looked over at Iko uncertainly, who was at loss for words.

"Iko-chan, please hand me a piece of paper," She requested. Iko looked at her with wide eyes, but quickly obeyed.

Iko came back with a blank, white sheet of paper. Mikoto pulled the pen that was holding her hair bun out. Slowly, her dark blue hair cascaded down her back as she began writing on the paper.

Mikoto gave the paper to Sakura with a slightly serious face that the pink-haired girl didn't expect.

"I want you to take someone with you, Sakura. And when they ask who you are at the gate, say that Uchiha Fugaku sent you to…clarify things. They won't let you in if you just say your name," She explained sternly.

Sakura nodded slowly.

"T…thank you, Mikoto-san!" She said gratefully.

"And…please don't tell anyone about this…" Sakura told Iko and Mikoto. The two exchanged reluctant looks, but agreed.

Mikoto looked over at Iko, who was stirring the mixture she was working on before, with a regretful face.

Meanwhile, Sakura was slowly walking up the stairs of the summer home, wondering who she should take with her. Though she hated to say it, Ino was an instant no. The blonde was way too talkative and she didn't want her accidentally blurting out that they had gone to visit Karin.

Sakura didn't want anyone, especially Sasuke, to find out. Naruto, like Ino, was also an instant no. She needed someone who couldn't be interrogated easily, just in case. This meant Hinata was also off the list.

She needed someone who wouldn't tell Sasuke. Itachi was off. And because of that, Rain was off too. She would definitely tell Itachi and then he would tell Sasuke.

Neji was off the list. He was pretty close to Sasuke, and she couldn't risk it. That also meant Ten Ten didn't qualify.

Sakura sighed heavily as she stopped trudging up the steps. She was thinking too hard. Everyone was bound to find out anyway, since Iko and Mikoto knew. But she didn't want to have everyone know too soon.

"I'm sorry…Sasuke-kun…" Sakura muttered.

"Talking to yourself now, huh?" A voice asked her, quite amused. Sakura looked up to see Shikamaru at the top of the steps, looking down curiously at her.

"Something up?" He asked as he crossed his arms. Then, it hit her.

'_Shikamaru! He's not that close with Sasuke, and I know I can trust him not to tell Ino! And anyone else for that matter.'_

"Shikamaru…ano…you want to play some shougi?" She asked with a small smile. He cocked up an eyebrow at her, but motioned for her to follow him and led her to his room.

"You know…I'm not saying this to offend you or anything…but I'm glad my relationship with Ino is a lot less complicated than yours and Sasuke's," Shikamaru told her as he set up the board and pieces.

Sakura giggled at his comment.

"It's fine…It's really a hassle…but I'm glad you and Ino have a nice relationship," She replied. Shikamaru snorted.

"Nice? She hits me at least twenty times a day," He joked. Sakura smiled.

Then, she decided to finally go for it.

"Hey, Shikamaru. Can I make a request?" She asked him.

Shikamaru gave her a confused look, but nodded. "Shoot."

"If I win, grant me one…no, two wishes," The pink-haired girl said. Shikamaru's confused expression didn't disappear.

"I'm not sure where you're going here…but sure," He answered back. Sakura grinned.

"Then I won't hold back!"

Shikamaru merely smirked as he made his first move.

**000**

"Ah…you definitely got better…but…" Shikamaru smirked as Sakura sighed.

"Not good enough," He finished.

"However," He started again and Sakura looked up at him hopefully.

"I'll still grant those two wishes. You know, you didn't really have to use this to try and get those requests. I'm you friend, Sakura. You could've just asked," He pointed out and she grinned back at him.

"They're not just any ordinary requests though," Sakura told him. He cocked up an eyebrow.

"And how so?" He questioned. Sakura took in a deep breath.

"One, I need you to accompany me to Karin's house. And two, you can't tell anybody," The pink-haired girl said. He widened his eyes slightly, but he nodded.

"I see…" Shikamaru muttered. Sakura looked at him carefully.

"Will you…?" She asked. He sighed heavily.

"It's troublesome, but I'll do it. Why me though?" He asked.

"You're…trustworthy. And I know you can't be interrogated easily. Plus, you're pretty clever. You can probably come up with really good excuses," Sakura explained. Shikamaru smirked.

"You flatter me too much," He commented. "But, we should go soon before anyone notices," He told her. She nodded without another word.

**000**

"I can't believe you made us walk here…" Sakura muttered when they finally reached Karin's neighborhood.

"If we took the limo, they could just ask the driver where we went," Shikamaru pointed out. Sakura sighed.

"Right…at least we're almost there," She replied, looking down at the address. Shikamaru glanced over at her.

"304, right?" He asked. She nodded and began searching for the house.

"Let's see…300…302…304," Shikamaru counted. Sakura felt her breath catch up in her throat.

"Mikoto told me what to say at the front gate, so I'll take care of this part," The pink-haired girl told him, trying her best to act a bit bold. The two walked up to the gates and Sakura pressed the button with a slightly trembling finger.

Shikamaru put a hand on her shoulder and she smiled back at him.

"Hello? How may I help you?" An unfamiliar voice said. Sakura gulped nervously before talking.

"Uchiha Fugaku sent us here to clarify certain things with Karin-san," She responded. There was a pause and some whispering. Sakura and Shikamaru exchanged looks.

"The gate will open. Please continue on to the front door," The voice told them. Sakura let out a sigh of relief, glad that they did not ask her any other questions.

Shikamaru kept a steady, comforting hold on Sakura's shoulder until they were finally in front of the front door. Immediately, the door swung open, revealing Karin wearing nothing but a wet, white towel.

Shikamaru cringed and looked away while Sakura stared at Karin's face with wide eyes. Karin rolled her eyes at the man.

"What? Never seen a beautiful body like mine? Because you know, my body is so much more better than Ino's," She told him. He merely sent her a small glare, but said nothing.

"Anyway…" Karin leaned against the door frame as she flipped back her long, wet hair.

"Why are you two here? Especially you," She pointed at Sakura. Sakura looked up at her nervously.

"I…want to talk to you about Sasuke-kun," She declared and Karin lifted up one eyebrow. She stepped to the side.

"Whatever. Get in and sit somewhere; I don't care where," The red head motioned over to the expensive looking arm chairs and couches.

Sakura sat down in the middle of couch uncertainly and Shikamaru joined her, sitting at the end of the couch. He plopped his elbow down on the arm rest and rested his head in his hand.

Karin sank down into an arm chair and looked over at Sakura.

"So? Talk," She said rudely. Sakura took in a deep breath and Shikamaru glanced over at her.

"I already told you this but…I'm not giving up on Sasuke for you," She started. Karin nodded slowly, bored.

"Karin…I've found that in some ways…" Sakura trailed off as she looked down at her hands.

"We're alike," She told her. Karin made a disgusted face.

"Alike? You're kidding. We're not even anything close to being alike," She replied. Sakura smiled slightly.

"Well…in appearance we're really different. But there are some things about us that are the same," She pointed out.

"We'll both fight for the person we like," Sakura started. Karin scoffed.

"As much as I hate to say it…we're both stubborn," The pink-haired girl continued. Shikamaru was now looking at her, listening intently.

"We…won't give up that easily," Sakura told her. Karin glanced down at the floor, a bit annoyed.

"I understand your feelings, Karin. I've been through a lot with Sasuke. I become worried and jealous easily. He kind of…disliked me at first. But I guess I did certain things that grew on him. And now…"

"You don't have to tell me how happy you and Sasuke are together. Are you _trying_ to make me even angrier?" Karin asked. Sakura shook her head.

"Sorry," She said quickly.

"The things you said are a bit true. That's why I won't back down that easily," Karin replied, surprising Sakura and Shikamaru. Sakura smiled.

"That's okay. I wasn't here to stop you anyway," The pink-haired girl pointed out. Karin smirked.

"But I guess I should really stop playing dirty. It's not getting me anywhere with Sasuke-kun," Karin told, sighing dramatically. Sakura gave her a confused look.

"I won't threaten you, the Uchiha company, or anything else for that matter," She explained. Sakura turned to look at Shikamaru's reaction, but he was frowning.

"I don't know if we can take your word on that," He told Karin. Karin sighed.

"I'll make a contract for it. If I break the contract, you guys can make legal action," The red head replied. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

"And why are you doing this?" He asked. Karin flipped back her hair.

"I want to win Sasuke-kun back in a fair way. I won't gain any satisfaction at all by taking him away too easily. Trust me, geez," She answered back. Sakura titled her head to the side.

"Win Sasuke-kun…**back**…?" Sakura asked. Karin grinned.

"You didn't know? We used to be together. A couple years before you met him," She replied. Sakura looked to Shikamaru for an explanation.

"…Yeah," He merely said with a sigh.

"You can ask Sasuke-kun for the story," Karin said happily.

"Well…I've got other things to do now. So I'd appreciate it if you two went somewhere else," The red head said.

Sakura nodded slowly.

"Thank you for your time," She said quietly before taking Shikamaru's arm and walking out the front door. He looked at her uncertainly.

Once they had silently gone down one block of the neighborhood, Sakura turned around to face Shikamaru.

"Why didn't anyone tell me about them?" She asked. Shikamaru didn't need to ask who 'them' were. He glanced away guiltily.

"It's something Sasuke made us all agree to. He didn't want to hurt your feelings…and the rest of us don't want to either," Shikamaru admitted. Sakura frowned.

"But I'm more hurt right now…" She muttered. Shikamaru sighed.

"Sakura, I'm really sorry for not telling you. I…actually didn't think you'd find out from Karin," He said truthfully. Sakura gave him a small smile.

"Yeah…it's okay…" She replied reluctantly.

"Anyway!" She grinned while Shikamaru gave her a worried look.

"Let's start heading home!"

**000**

"Hey, Sakura," Shikamaru glanced over at Sakura. She looked at him in question.

"Hey did you and Ino become friends?" He asked. She smiled warmly at the memories.

"It started way back in elementary," She started. Shikamaru gave a seemingly surprised look.

"You guys have been friends for that long?" He asked. Sakura grinned.

"Yup! I was always being bullied because of my forehead. But…Ino stood up for me one day. And she started talking to me more…giving me small gifts…sharing her lunch with me…she was my first real friend," Sakura explained with a distant smile.

"We've had a few good fights in middle school and high school. But once we got into college, we just ended up being really good friends again," She finished.

"Ino…" Shikamaru started.

"She's always talking and worrying about you, you know that? And during the most random times too," He told Sakura.

"One time, we were…kissing. And all of a sudden she pulls back and starts talking about you," He joked, causing the pink-haired girl to giggle.

"Ino always talks about you too," Sakura pointed out as he widened his eyes slightly. His cheeks turned light pink and he looked away.

"Heh…" He muttered.

A raindrop hit Shikamaru's cheek and looked up at the sky, murmuring a few curses. Sakura also felt a raindrop and looked up curiously.

"Damn…we should hurry up before the rain pours too hard," He told her. Sakura nodded and the two quickened their slow walk into nearly a jog.

After about ten minutes, Sakura's pace began to decrease.

"…Tired…" She breathed out when she nearly stumbled to the floor. Shikamaru stopped and looks back at her.

"It's troublesome but…" He bent down and stretched his arms out.

"Don't tell Ino," He said with a smirk.

"Are you sure"—

"Like I said, it's troublesome…but I suppose it needs to be done now," Shikamaru cut her off. She nodded with a smile and hopped onto his back. He lifted her up in a piggy back style and continued his fast paced walk.

"After a few minutes…I think I'll be okay," Sakura told him. He shrugged.

"We only have about a quarter of a mile anyway," He replied as he started to dash.

**000**

"S…Sakura-chan? Shikamaru?" Naruto yelled as the two came into the house, soaking wet. Sakura gave Naruto an uncertain smile and Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"T…there you are…!" Ino yelled as she hugged Shikamaru tightly.

"Sakura-chan, where'd you guys go?" Naruto asked curiously. Sakura quickly looked over at Shikamaru and he nodded in understanding.

"We went to catch a bite, since I owed her for beating me at shougi, but got caught up along the way," He explained. Ino rose an eyebrow.

"Caught up by what?" She asked, almost suspiciously. Shikamaru made no hesitation to answer.

"Karin. We saw her while walking there. She stopped her car just to bother us. Troublesome…" He replied and Sakura blinked in surprise at his story.

"Sakura," The said girl turned around to see Sasuke right next to the stairs.

"Wait here," He sighed before going up the stairs again.

He came back down with two towels. Sasuke handed one of them to Shikamaru, who thanked him. Sasuke took the other towel and began drying Sakura's hair. She blushed.

"I can dry my own hair, you know," She muttered, gently taking the towel from him.

"You guys could've just taken a limo or a car," Sasuke pointed out. Shikamaru smirked.

"Sakura really wanted to walk because it looked like a nice day," He replied. Sakura nodded quickly.

"I didn't know it would rain," She added. Sasuke shook his head.

"And next time, tell me when you're going out somewhere," He told her. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, mom," Sakura teased. He merely smirked back.

**000**

"Shikamaru, thanks so much for today!" Sakura said gratefully.

"Yeah, yeah. It's okay," He replied. She smiled at him happily before leaving his room.

Now, she was heading for Naruto's room. She stood in front of his door and knocked quietly.

"Yeah! Who is it?" He yelled back.

"Sakura," Sakura called out. There was a rush of footsteps and door swung open. There was Naruto, wearing loose sweat pants, no shirt, and eating a cup of instant ramen. He grinned at her.

"What's up?" He asked. Sakura invited herself inside the room and sat down on the floor, sitting criss-crossed. Naruto looked over at her curiously as he plopped down onto the bed.

"You can sit here on the bed, you know. It's comfier," He told her. She smiled and took his request, sitting herself on the edge of his messy, undone bed.

"Naruto, tell me about Sasuke and Karin," Sakura told him, going straight to the point. Naruto gulped down a whole bunch of noodles, and nearly choked.

"W…what do you mean? Sasuke hates Karin. End of story," He replied, a little uncertainly. Sakura frowned.

"Someone told me they used to be together…" She said. Naruto glanced away from her, then looked back.

"Who told you that?" He asked.

"I can't tell you right now. But…can't you tell me about Sasuke and Karin?" She questioned. Naruto sighed heavily and placed his half cup of ramen down on the bedside table.

"Sakura-chan, I'd really like to. But Sasuke made me promise not to tell," The blonde told her truthfully.

"When?" Sakura asked. Naruto looked up at the ceiling, thinking.

"Um…I think it was right after Karin first came over here. You know, when she threatened the company and stuff. He…made all of us promise," He replied. Sakura nodded.

'_Then…I'll just have to talk to the one person who wasn't here yet during Karin's first visit…'_

"Oh…well, thanks anyway," Sakura said sadly as she stood up. Naruto frowned.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan," He told her sincerely. She smiled as she approached the door.

"It's okay," She replied before leaving.

**000**

'_There's only one person in this house that wasn't here yet when Karin threatened the company…'_

She approached a certain door and made no hesitation to knock. To her surprise, the door immediately swung open.

'_The only person that wasn't forced into the promise by Sasuke…'_

"Sai-san, I'd like to ask you something."

He simply regarded her with a smile as he let her into his room.

**A/N: ShikaSaku moments? Teehee. I shouldn't pair Sakura with every guy, haha. But yeah, now she's going to ask Sai about Sasuke and Karin. You think he'll tell her? And eh, just realized there were hardly any SasuSaku moments…sorry...**

**Thanks for reading! **


	13. Apologies

**A/N: Hello! **

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**000**

**CONTINUING JULY 19**

Sakura sat down on a nearby chair and looked over at Sai seriously. His smile faltered a little. He was confused by her expression.

"You said you had something to ask me," He stated calmly. She nodded.

"Please tell me about Sasuke-kun and Karin," Sakura told him straight forward. There was a short pause.

"Ah…you mean when they were together?" Sai clarified. Sakura nodded slowly. His fake smile appeared again.

"Sure," He replied. Her eyes brightened, and he noticed this. "Thank you, Sai-san," She told him sincerely. He nodded before speaking again.

"They were together about…four or five years ago, when the Uchiha Gane partnership first formed. They were introduced to each other, and of course, Karin fell for him right away. Sasuke-san, on the other hand, thought she was an annoyance at first," Sai began. Sakura frowned.

"But…I guess they got to know each other a bit more"—

"But why would Sasuke _like_ Karin?" She demanded.

"Let me finish first before asking questions," Sai replied. Sakura sighed, but nodded.

"They started dating eventually. However, Sasuke-san didn't date her for her personality or anything like that. He was still young then, and knew nothing. He was immature," Sai explained bluntly.

"Though it may sound unbelievable, he dated her for her body," Sai stated and Sakura widened her eyes.

"Were they…intimate?" She asked, nearly fearing the answer. The male looked away from her.

"Tell me," The pink-haired girl told him, almost forcefully.

"Sasuke-san isn't a virgin," Sai finally admitted. Sakura's stomach clenched painfully and her eyes began to tear up.

"Soon enough, Sasuke realized just dating her for her body wasn't satisfying him the right way. He broke up with her. And that's it. Of course, Karin was angry…and I suppose somewhat 'heartbroken'," Sai finished.

Sakura still couldn't believe it. Everyone knew. But they didn't want her to know.

Sai's eyes widened when Sakura had rushed out of the chair and jumped onto to him, hugging him tightly.

"Sakura-san…I don't think this is very…appropriate," He informed her. She shook her head.

"I-I need the comfort right n-now," She sobbed quietly. Sai had never been hugged like this, and he didn't know what to do. So, he simply lifted his arms up, and patted her back. He let her cry on his shoulder.

**END JULY 19**

**000**

**JULY 20**

Sakura woke up in her bed with a confused expression. Her eyes hurt a bit.

She walked over to the mirror and saw that her eyes were pink, and even red in some places. She frowned.

'_That's right…Sai told me that Sasuke-kun isn't…'_

Sakura shook her head. Just the thought made her want to cry again.

'_Sasuke-kun's weird perverted thoughts came back after Karin's visit…'_

She flopped back onto her bed.

'_Is he attracted to me…or her…?'_

The pink-haired girl opened the curtains, and saw that it was raining quite heavily. She sighed loudly.

_Knock knock…_

"Come in…" Sakura said. The door opened and Sakura glanced over. It was Sai.

"I am guessing you wondered why you were in your bed this morning," He told her.

She nodded slowly.

"You cried yourself to sleep on me. So I was going to carry you back to your room," Sai explained. Sakura rose an eyebrow.

"Going to…?" She questioned.

"I met Sasuke-san along the way," Sai told her, smirking lightly. Sakura blinked in surprise.

"Did he…do anything to you? Did he ask you anything?" She asked quickly.

"Of course, he asked me why you were in my room. And I told him. He knows you know about him and Karin," Sai replied. Sakura nodded slowly. She wasn't mad at Sai. She was about to confront Sasuke about it anyway.

"Anyway, he took you away from me and told me to stay away from you," He added. Sakura smiled.

"Don't listen to what he says," She said. He nodded.

"I wasn't planning to. You should come down for breakfast now," Sai told her.

"Yeah…just give me a few minutes," Sakura replied listlessly as Sai left her room.

**000**

Sakura ambled down the hallway very slowly. The sun wasn't shining. It was pouring rain. And she had found out yesterday that all her friends had kept a very important secret from her. All in all, her legs felt like lead and her head felt airy and light. Not a good combination at all.

"Sakura!" She heard an extremely familiar voice say loudly. Arms were encircled around her body. She widened her eyes and realized that she was just about to fall down to stairs. She turned around to face her savior.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered. Sasuke shook his head.

"Don't go blanking out like that," He snapped.

Sakura pushed his arms away and turned around to completely face him. He instantly noticed how pink her eyes were and frowned.

"Sakura"—

"Sasuke-kun, I think it's better if we take a little break from each other," Sakura cut him off. His eyes widened slightly.

"Break?" He asked. Sakura nodded without hesitation.

"I'm not breaking up with you though. I just need time to…think," The pink-haired girl explained. Sasuke looked at her carefully.

"I…understand," He finally said. Sakura looked down at the floor. When she looked up, he was already walking down the stairs. The pink-haired girl let out a deep sigh and leaned against the wall.

'_I…was able to do it…'_

Finally, she walked down the stairs to the dining table. But before she could enter the room, Sai stepped in front of her.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you. They're talking about you," He told her. Sakura widened her eyes slightly, then frowned.

"What were they saying…?" She dared to ask. Sai glanced away from her.

"Apparently, you just broke up with Uchiha-san," He replied carefully. Sakura looked away.

"I…didn't break up with him. We're just taking a short break," She explained. To her surprise, Sai smirked.

"Then it's a short break up," He told her. She didn't say anything back.

"Do you think you can cope with this?" Sai asked her. Sakura looked up at him, then smiled.

"I suppose," She replied before walking back up the stairs.

**000**

_Knock, knock!_

"Hai?" Sakura called out as she walked over to her locked door.

"It's Sai," A voice said back. Her eyes widened slightly, but she unlocked and opened the door.

He was holding a small tray of food.

"I'm assuming you didn't eat breakfast yet," Sai told her. Sakura grinned.

"Y…yeah…" She replied. He invited himself into her room and sat down on the floor. She gratefully took the tray from him and began eating.

"Sasuke-san is really…sad," Sai commented. Sakura glanced up at him, and frowned.

"It's okay…it's not like we're really broken up or anything," She answered back.

"Then you should tell him that. He thinks the exact opposite," Sai informed her, surprising her slightly.

"Eventually, everything will be okay…I just wish…" The pink-haired girl trailed off and Sai looked at her curiously.

"I just wish someone would have told me about Sasuke and Karin earlier," Sakura finished. Sai gave her a smile.

"They probably feel bad for what they've done," He told her. She sighed.

"Probably…" she muttered as she finished up the last of her breakfast.

_Knock, knock!_

"Come in," Sai called out for Sakura. The door opened quickly to reveal Ino, Shikamaru, Naruto, Hinata, Ten Ten, Neji, Rain, Itachi and Iko.

"Sai?" Ino asked, looking at him suspiciously. Sakura shook her head quickly.

"He just came here to give me some breakfast," She explained. Ino nodded slowly, but still confused.

"Anyway…" Naruto started awkwardly. He cleared his throat quickly.

"We're all here to apologize," He stated. Sakura widened her eyes as they all looked at her sincerely.

"We didn't think you'd find out and get this upset…" Ino said, frowning deeply.

"And we all felt really guilty," Ten Ten added.

"Will you forgive everyone?" Shikamaru asked, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. She smiled back at him.

"Of course!" She replied. Then, she had finally realized that Sasuke wasn't with them.

"Where's…Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, trying not to sound too worried.

"He said he wants to apologize to you personally," Naruto explained and Sakura frowned.

"Sakura, can we talk privately?" Shikamaru asked her, much to her surprise. He looked over at the group.

"Privately," He repeated. Ino cast him a quick look before leaving with the rest of the group.

"Sai, do you understand what's coming out of my mouth?" Shikamaru sighed. Sakura shook her head.

"It's fine if Sai hears. I'm guessing it's about Karin?" She asked. He nodded, glancing quickly at Sai.

"Partly. You see…" Shikamaru started.

"You didn't like the thing about Sasuke and Karin being kept a secret from you. Wouldn't you be doing the same thing to everyone else but keeping our visit to Karin's a secret?" He asked cleverly as Sakura frowned.

"You're…you're right," Sakura sighed, defeated.

"Then we should tell them some time or another," Shikamaru suggested. The pink-haired girl nodded slowly.

"Tonight we'll tell them…" She said.

"Okay then. I'll…" Shikamaru looked over at Sai again. "I'll be leaving now. See ya," He said before leaving the room.

"It seems no one likes me," Sai finally spoke. Sakura sighed, then smiled at him.

"They just don't understand you. You should just try getting close to them. They're all good people, so it shouldn't be that difficult," She told him.

"Maybe," He said as he stood up. He pointed at the door and Sakura looked at him with a confused face.

"There's someone over there. So, I'll be leaving now," Sai said, picking up the breakfast tray. Sakura looked at the door curiously.

"Ah…okay…thanks for the breakfast, Sai-san," She said quickly as he opened the door.

The person from the other side brushed passed Sai. Sakura looked at him in surprise.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes before closing the door.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura muttered.

"What was he doing here?" Sasuke asked instantly.

"He was just here to bring me some breakfast. Sai's a nice person," She told him, slowly growing annoyed.

"I don't like him," He answered back. Sakura frowned.

"I don't like Karin," She huffed. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I don't like her either, Sakura," He told her.

"You used to," The pink-haired girl countered back, much to the Uchiha's displeasure. He walked forward until he was directly in front of her.

"I didn't like her for her personality," Sasuke started.

"I was shallow," He muttered.

"You…" He tucked a bundle of pink hair behind her ear.

"You made me realize that," He continued. Sakura's breath caught up in her throat slightly. Sasuke smirked lightly.

"I like you for you," He told her. To his surprise, he heard short sobs coming from her.

"D…did I say something wrong?" Sasuke asked, alarmed. Sakura giggled, and he widened his eyes slightly.

"N…no…I'm just…happy," She managed back. He ruffled her hair gently.

"I…don't like it when you cry," Sasuke stated simply. Sakura smiled and hugged him.

"Some short 'break' this was," She told him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Sai was standing there, with a serious expression on his face.

**000**

"Um…guys?" Sakura said uncertainly, approaching everyone who was in the living room.

Everyone looked up at her, and Shikamaru, knowing it was his cue, walked over to stand beside her.

Sasuke looked at her so intently, she had to glance away.

Ino eyed Shikamaru suspiciously. Naruto titled his head to the side, clearly confused.

"Um…well…how do I…" Sakura blurted out nervously. Shikamaru smirked beside her.

"Yesterday, me and Sakura went to Karin's house," He announced for her. Sasuke's expression turned into one mixed with confusion and slight annoyance. Ino looked strangely offended.

"I…I told her some things. And she agreed to stop using me or anyone else to get to Sasuke-kun," The pink-haired girl said, finally gathering up some courage.

"How are you sure she wasn't lying?" Naruto asked quickly.

"She said she's making a contract," Shikamaru replied.

"That's…interesting," Neji commented.

"Then…that's good! Right?" Rain asked, looking at her Uchiha boyfriend.

"Were you planning on keeping this a secret?" Itachi questioned. Sakura frowned.

"I…yes. But then Shikamaru suggested that we tell everyone," She answered back, smiling at Shikamaru.

"Sasuke-kun…are you mad?" Sakura asked the Uchiha. He sighed, but shook his head.

"You could've asked me to go with you though," He muttered back.

"You wouldn't have let me go then," She replied, giggling lightly. He smirked back.

Meanwhile, a certain blonde girl wasn't looking too happy.

**000**

"Ino-chan? Since when do you go up on the roof?" Sakura asked as she poked her head from the ladder. Ino widened her eyes in surprise.

"I just felt like…being alone for a while," Ino replied slowly. Sakura titled her head to the side and sat down next to her.

"You go here on the roof?" Ino asked curiously. The pink-haired girl nodded.

"Almost every night! Sometimes I run into Sasuke-kun, Sai, Hinata, even Shikamaru," Sakura listed down, counting her fingers.

At the mention of Shikamaru, Ino cringed slightly and looked away.

"But…" Sakura started.

"Usually they only come here if they're not feeling well."

Ino frowned and looked over at the girl.

"Ino, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, extremely concerned. Ino sighed.

"It's Shikamaru," She finally admitted. Sakura rose an eyebrow.

"Shikamaru…? Did he do something wrong?" She asked. Ino frowned.

"He's so…stupid!" She burst out, and Sakura sweat dropped.

"What did he do?" Sakura continued to question.

"All he talks about…is you!" Ino said loudly, rubbing her eyes like a child. The pink-haired girl looked at her in surprise.

"…What about…?" Sakura said. Ino pouted.

"You and Sasuke-kun. And how you're having a hard time about Karin. And how he really worries about you…I tried getting him to talk about, you know, _us_. But all he does is talk about you…" The blonde explained. Sakura frowned.

"Ino, Shikamaru only thinks of me as a friend. He loves **you**," She said, patting her best friend's back. Ino wailed.

"But…but you two have so much in common! You're both so smart…and you guys play shougi together…and…you even went to Karin's house together…secretly…"

"Ino," A voice sighed. The two girls turned to see Shikamaru, standing on the ladder and regarding them with a cool expression.

"Sakura, would you mind…not being on the roof tonight?" He asked the girl, smirking lightly. Sakura grinned.

"Sure thing!" She chirped before heading towards the ladder that Shikamaru was climbing off of.

"By the way, someone's waiting for you at the bottom of that ladder," He added as Sakura climbed down with a confused face. She looked down to see Sasuke, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said happily as she hopped off of the ladder and rushed towards him.

"You go on the roof too much," He told her as she tackled him into a quick embrace.

"Let's go on a walk, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura told him happily.

**000**

Sakura walked ahead of Sasuke, with her hands held together behind her back.

"I always thought the forest looked scary at night…but…for some reason, it looks really pretty right now," The pink-haired girl said with a smile. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You're strange," He told her with a small smirk. Sakura grinned at him, but then sighed. He cocked up an eyebrow.

"What's up?" He asked, walking towards her.

"Did you talk to Karin like this?" She asked reluctantly. Sasuke frowned.

"Karin doesn't matter," He said after a small pause. Sakura half laughed.

"I'm…just a bit jealous," She admitted, much to Sasuke's surprise.

"She was your first love…your first kiss…you first"—

She blushed lightly and shook her head.

"She wasn't my first love. I didn't love her," Sasuke told her. Sakura titled her head to the side, slightly confused.

"I was just a boy with uncontrollable hormones, Sakura. I didn't love her," He repeated.

"If it makes you feel any better…you're my first love," Sasuke said, his cheeks turning pink. Sakura stared at him in disbelief, before her face broke out into a wide smile.

"Of course that makes me feel a lot better!" She said.

"You have nothing to worry about anymore," Sasuke told her and she nodded cheerfully.

"Anyway, let's walk back now. It's getting really dark," He suggested, turning around.

Sakura jogged to catch up to him, and smiled at him softly while clutching onto his hand.

**END JULY 20**

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter was a bit delayed! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	14. Blackout

**A/N: So school will be starting for me next week. Which means…me not updating as much :(**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**000**

**JULY 21**

Sakura was panicking. After eating breakfast, she had rushed back into her room and had stayed in there ever since. She was currently pacing her room frantically.

"What do I dooooooo?" She said loudly. Sakura stopped pacing, and collapsed onto her bed.

"Sasuke-kun's birthday…is the day after tomorrow…" She whispered sadly as she glanced out the window.

A face peered back at her, and she screamed.

"S-Sai!" She breathed out as she opened the window. He smiled back.

"Did I scare you?" He asked calmly. She glared at him in a half serious way.

"Well, yeah! Why didn't you just knock on my door?" Sakura asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I was, but you weren't opening the door," Sai replied. She blinked.

"Ah, really? T…that's how spaced out I've been, I guess…" The pink-haired girl said, laughing lightly.

"So…there's something bothering you?" Sai questioned. Sakura sighed and nodded.

"Pretty much. Sasuke-kun's birthday is in two days and I…" She glanced over at Sai and widened her eyes.

"If it were your birthday, what would you like to get as a present?" Sakura asked intensely as he cocked up an eyebrow.

"New pens for drawing," He replied. He continued, "I suppose each person has something different they like, so there wouldn't be any point in asking me."

Sakura nodded slowly. "Right…"

She sighed and rolled around on her bed in frustration.

"What's something Sasuke-kun would like though?" She asked Sai, looking towards him. He shrugged.

"Something that has meaning between the both of you," Sai replied, quite bluntly. Sakura smiled softly at him.

"You're beginning to give really good advice," She told him truthfully. He blinked at her in confusion.

"…Not really," He muttered, slightly embarrassed. Sakura finally stood up from her bed.

"I should probably go ask Sasuke-kun now," She told him awkwardly. Sai smiled and nodded.

"Yeah."

**000**

Sasuke was currently sitting at the table with the rest of the boys, playing a seemingly intense game of cards.

Suddenly, Shikamaru smirked and pounded a card down onto the table. The rest of the boys groaned in defeat.

Sakura approached them curiously. Naruto was the first to notice her, and nudged Sasuke sharply in the ribs. He scowled at him until he finally noticed Sakura was walking towards him.

"Ano…can I talk to you for a while…?" The pink-haired girl asked carefully. Sasuke cocked up an eyebrow coolly at her, but nodded and stood up.

They went outside in the back, where it was peaceful, quiet and empty.

Sakura was twiddling with her fingers nervously and Sasuke was sneaking quick, confused glances at her.

"Um…what's something that has meaning for the both of us?" She blurted out. He blinked at her in confusion.

"Uh…?" He merely said back. Then, he suddenly smirked.

"This is about my birthday, isn't it?" Sasuke questioned. She blushed lightly.

"Y…yes…" Sakura admitted. His smirk widened, and he moved his face closer to hers, startling her.

"Sakura, I don't really need anything for my birthday," He told her. She blushed. She could feel his hot breath against her skin.

"But…that's"—

"It's alright," Sasuke said with a note of finality. She frowned.

"Sasuke-kun, it wouldn't be right if I didn't get you anything," Sakura said sadly.

"You," Sasuke muttered.

"E…eh?" She asked, confused. He reached over, grabbed her elbow, and pulled her closer.

"You. You're enough," The Uchiha told her. She blinked, and blushed.

"Nothing's better," He said and she smiled, leaning in to hug him.

But she knew, she still had to get him something.

**000**

"Sasuke-kun said he doesn't want a present," Sakura told Mikoto, sighing loudly. Mikoto smiled.

"He's always been like that. I've been thinking about his cake though," She replied while scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Sasuke-chan hardly ever eats cake…" She continued.

"Maybe there's a different dessert he likes besides cake?" Sakura suggested. Mikoto put a finger to her lips thoughtfully.

"How does a giant cookie sound like? I've seen it done at parties before," She pointed out.

"Does Sasuke-kun like cookies?" Sakura asked curiously. Mikoto smiled.

"Well, I suppose he likes it a lot more than cake," She replied.

"Now…what kind of cookie? Chocolate chip?" Mikoto continued, beginning to scribble on the piece of paper again.

"Chocolate chip sounds good!" Sakura chirped happily. Mikoto beamed.

"Well, I'll get started on buying the ingredients! I'll see you later, Sakura-chan!" She said happily.

**000**

'_Giant…cookie…'_

Sakura swayed as she walked. She knew Mikoto was amazing when it came to baking. Imagining the taste of a giant cookie Mikoto made was…nearly unbearable.

'_Mm…giant cookie…'_

Her footsteps slowly faltered when she heard the sound of a piano playing. She rose an eyebrow up curiously.

Ever since she was here, she had never heard a piano being played.

Quite stealthily (or so she thought), Sakura tip toed over to where she heard the music. It was leading to a room where Sakura had never been in.

Almost silently, she nudged the slightly open door and peered in through the small crack. She was surprised at what she saw.

There was Sasuke, eyes closed in a peaceful concentration, sitting in front of a grand piano, playing a pretty melody.

'_Kya…'_

Sakura was so mesmerized by his playing, that she had unconsciously opened the door wider, causing a loud creaking sound.

Sasuke's eyes flew open and he looked towards the door. He smirked.

"Hn?" He asked lazily. Sakura blushed.

"I…I didn't know you played piano," The pink-haired girl whispered.

"I play guitar too," He said, still smirking. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, now you're just showing off," Sakura told him playfully, taking a seat next to him.

"I haven't played the piano in a long time…" Sasuke muttered randomly as he touched the keys thoughtfully.

Sakura began tapping the keys, creating a simple tune of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. She grinned up at him and he ruffled her hair.

Silently, he brought his hands back up to the keys, looked at her, and began playing.

She didn't know the name of the song, but concluded that it was amazing.

"Sasuke-kun, we should go out today. You know, just you and me!" Sakura chirped happily. Sasuke smirked back.

"Where?" He asked simply and she looked up at the ceiling, thinking. His piano playing was distracting her though. After much thought, she sighed.

"I don't even know…maybe we can just _all_ go out today," She suggested. She giggled when Sasuke stopped playing the piano and turned to frown at her.

"Ramen," He muttered.

"Ramen? Sure!" Sakura said back, leaning against him.

They stood up to leave the room. Sakura glanced reluctantly at the piano, but followed him out quickly once he called her name.

**000**

"Ramen! Can I go too?" Naruto asked, jumping up and down. Sasuke glared lightly.

"Didn't you hear? Just me and Sakura," He replied coolly, watching as Naruto pouted.

"Damn…you're just keeping her all to yourself," The blonde said unhappily.

"She's mine, not yours, dobe. Have my mom or Iko cook some ramen if you really want some," The Uchiha said back, causing Sakura to blush slightly.

She glanced around the room, and caught Sai's eye. She smiled at him brightly. He returned her beam with a fake smile. She knew it was fake, but if she looked closely, she thought she saw some bit of longing there too.

Sakura suddenly felt someone tugging on the long sleeve of her sweater, turned and saw Sasuke glancing down at her, and pulling her with him.

"Let's go," He muttered, quite impatiently. She smiled and nodded, grabbing his hand and now leading the way.

Naruto watched them with a look of disappointment. Sai was calmly walking up the stairs, thinking.

**000**

"So, what made you want to go out somewhere? With me?" Sasuke asked, almost teasingly.

"Ne…I guess I was just a bit hungry," Sakura admitted, smiling at Sasuke's slight look of disbelief.

"Whatever. We're together. That's what matters," He said, his voice growing close to a mutter. She blushed.

"Oh, we're here!" Sakura said quickly, to wave away the awkward moment.

They both sat down at the counter, ordered, and began talking.

"Sakura, wait here, I have to go to the bathroom. Don't go anywhere," He said sternly, standing up and walking away.

Sakura pouted and swung her legs back and forth on the chair, since they couldn't even reach the floor.

"Hey, look at that girl."

"Wow, she's pretty!"

"I know, right? Plus, she's alone."

"Should we…talk to her?"

"I'm course, stupid."

Before the pink-haired girl knew it, two teenage boys had approached her with grinning faces. Sakura frowned lightly.

"Hey, sugar cakes. You alone?" One of them, a boy with dusty blonde hair, asked. Sakura bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Actually…"

"Aw, c'mon. No need to be so tense," The other one, a boy with plain brown hair, said, touching her shoulder. She tensed even more and looked over to the bathroom, waiting for Sasuke to step out.

"I…I'm here with my boyfriend, actually," Sakura said, quite boldly. Their smiles faltered, but they walked closer to her, now leaning against the counter to speak to her.

"Then ditch him. We're probably a hundred times better than him," The blonde one said. The other boy was nodding dumbly behind him.

"Ano…please stop bothering me," Sakura whispered now. They grinned again.

"We don't mean to scare you. We just want to hang out, that's all," He continued.

"I can never leave you alone for a minute."

Sakura and the boys whipped around to see Sasuke standing there, looking very much annoyed.

The boys exchanged nervous glances before rushing out of the ramen stall. Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

"Seriously?" Sasuke asked, annoyed. But there was a tone in there that sounded a bit amused. Sakura grinned sheepishly.

"Whenever I leave you alone, some guy always goes up to you," The Uchiha continued and Sakura thought he was going into a full out rant.

"If I left you alone right now, I'm sure some girls would go up to _you_," The pink-haired girl pointed out, smiling. Sasuke smirked.

Before he could talk back, their ramen was laid out before them.

The owner grinned at them happily and said, "Eat up!"

Sakura quickly turned away from Sasuke, broke her chopsticks and began eating.

When they were done, Sasuke paid for the food (ignoring Sakura's loud protests), and the couple left, once again, hand in hand.

"You know…we only have nine days left," Sasuke suddenly reminded her as they both watched little children crowding around a man selling balloons.

Sakura frowned.

"Don't say that now. We're supposed to be having fun," She whined quietly.

"Yeah…well, a lot can happen in nine days," He pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, getting worried. Sasuke shook his head slowly.

"Nothing. Let's head back now."

**000**

Sakura peered anxiously at Sasuke, who was at the table again, playing a card game with the boys.

"Hey, Sakura, we're having a movie night tonight. You should come over!" Rain said, suddenly plopping down next to her on the couch.

"You know, just a calm girl's night out?" She added, smiling happily. Sakura smiled back.

"Sure!" She chirped.

After a while, Sakura followed Rain into her room, where the rest of the girls were already waiting.

"So…we were thinking horror, but then we didn't really want to…then we thought cheesy romance…but…not really in the mood…" Ino began explaining as she tossed DVD after DVD into a box.

"So, we decided on Up, WALL-E and Spirited Away. Sound good?" Ten Ten asked, picking out each DVD as she said the names. Rain grinned.

"Ahh! I love WALL-E! Let's watch that first!" She cried out as she flopped onto her bed. Sakura giggled and followed suit, squishing herself between Ino and Hinata.

As the movie was put into the DVD player, Rain grinned with joy.

But suddenly, the TV shut off, and lights clicked off. Ino screamed loudly and clung on Sakura's arm tightly.

The door was thrown open and this time, all the girls screamed. A flashlight pointed towards them and behind the flashlight, was Naruto.

"Uh…?" He started uncertainly.

"W…was that a black out?" Ten Ten asked, a little shaken. Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Yup!"

"Dobe, here you are," Sasuke said as he walked towards them with another flashlight.

"Anyway," Naruto spoke.

"Sasuke's dad's down at the basement trying to find the problem and Itachi's down there with them. So until then, there's not much to do," He explained, shrugging lightly.

"Actually…there's a lot that can be done in the dark…" Ino said slyly.

"Where's Shikamaru?" She suddenly demanded.

"Like I would know," Naruto replied. Ino sighed before taking his flashlight and walking away.

"Is everyone okay?" Mikoto asked loudly as she and Iko came up the stairs. The girls all finally stood up from the bed.

"We're fine, Mikoto-san," Sakura said.

"Well…Fugaku said the power probably won't start working again until tomorrow morning," Mikoto informed them.

"Ah, what the hellllllll," Naruto began complaining.

"Well, I guess there's nothing to do but sleep now. I'm out," Ten Ten sighed and yawned as she left the room. Rain fell back onto her bed.

"Yeah…goodnight," She mumbled before snuggling into her covers. Hinata and Sakura slowly walked into the hallway, afraid of tripping over anything.

"C'mon Hinata, I'll lead you to your room!" Naruto said happily. She blushed.

"Ano…you don't have a flashlight anymore…" She pointed out shyly. Naruto grinned.

"No problem! I'm the great Naruto! I can get us there in no time!" He said loudly before grabbing Hinata's hand and dragging her with him. Sakura sweat dropped.

"Shouldn't we stop him…?" She asked Sasuke. He shrugged.

"That's up to Hinata," He replied.

There was an awkward pause.

"Ah…well…I guess I'll go to sleep now," Sakura finally said, smiling and beginning to walk away. But a hand pulled her back.

"Sasuke-kun…?"

The flashlight was turned off and his lips were slowly pressed onto hers. Sasuke pulled back quickly and even in the dark, Sakura had a feeling he was blushing.

"Sorry," He mumbled. Sakura smiled softly, took the flashlight from his hand and turned it back on again.

Her smile widened when she saw that he actually was blushing. He glanced away quickly, embarrassed.

"I'll walk you to your room," Sasuke stated, still blushing slightly.

The two silently walked back towards Sakura's room, which was a bit close to Rain's.

Sakura reached out for the doorknob.

"Sakura, that isn't your"—

The pink-haired girl cried out when she saw Rain and Itachi making out on the bed.

"…Room," Sasuke finished, sweat dropping.

Rain immediately blushed and pushed Itachi away, who grumbled moodily.

"I…I'm sorry…!" Sakura shouted, bowing down repeatedly. Rain forced out a nervous smile.

"I…it's okay, Sakura-chan," She said.

Sakura quickly nodded and bowed down again before slamming the door closed. Her cheeks were red and she was clearly embarrassed. Sasuke smirked in amusement.

They walked down a few more doors until they reached Sakura's room. Sasuke was ruffling the girl's head in farewell, before she grabbed onto his shirt.

"Um…" She trailed off, avoiding his stare.

"I'm scared of the dark," Sakura mumbled, finally looking up at him.

"Want me to go get a night light?" He asked jokingly. She pouted.

"Okay, okay, I'll stay," The Uchiha said smirking, ruffling her hair again as he entered her room.

Sasuke pointed the flashlight at her as he watched her snuggle herself into the blankets. He followed in after her and when he clicked the flashlight off, she squeaked.

"Hn…" He merely said as he wrapped an arm around her.

She giggled and a few minutes later, she was asleep.

Sasuke lay there quietly, thinking about the few days they had left.

**END JULY 21**

**A/N: Thank you for reading!**


	15. Happy Birthday

**A/N: I'm a bit late, and I'm very sorry! My dad's been placing a lot of restrictions on my computer so I'm finding it difficult to find time to write, edit and post chapters. Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**000**

**JULY 22**

Sakura woke up to see the adorable face of her sleeping boyfriend. She giggled and resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks.

"Why…are you laughing…?" He asked sleepily, without opening his eyes.

"Ne, you're just so cute, Sasuke-kun!" She cooed, snuggling closer to him.

"Hn…" Sasuke muttered back as he put an arm around her.

"Can we just stay here the whole day?" He asked lazily.

"Sasuke-kun, it's almost your birthday!" Sakura pointed out.

"So…?" The Uchiha said stubbornly, holding onto her tighter. She blushed deeply.

"Your mom's going to be asking you millions of question," She continued, trying to ignore his touch.

"Then I'll just stay in here," Sasuke replied. She sighed.

"C'mon Sasuke-kun. Wakey, wakey," The pink-haired girl said, pinching his cheeks. Sasuke cringed as he finally opened his eyes.

"If you don't get out of bed, I won't talk to you tomorrow," She threatened. He frowned at her for a few seconds before finally standing up. She smiled.

"There we go! Now, let's"—

She was cut off by his sudden hug.

"S…Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura asked as she found herself hugging him back lightly.

"Sorry, I just"—

He sighed, let go of her and ruffled his hair.

"You're so annoying," Sasuke mumbled as he left the room.

Sakura stared after him before laughing softly.

"Laughing to yourself now?"

Shikamaru looked at her as he passed by her still open door. She huffed playfully.

"Oh, don't mind me," Sakura said back, looking away. He smirked.

"Yeah, I'll be sure not to," He replied. She walked after him as she exited her room.

"Ah, Shikamaru, what did you get Sasuke for his birthday?" She asked curiously. He shrugged.

"Just some video game. How about you?" Shikamaru asked back. Sakura glanced away nervously and he gave her a look of slight disbelief.

"You didn't get him anything yet?" He questioned, beginning to smirk.

"I'll think of something eventually…" Sakura pondered as they walked down the stairs.

"Shika-kun!" Ino squealed as she clutched onto him.

Sakura scanned the living room, searching for Sasuke. He was surrounded by Itachi and Rain, who were probably asked to keep Sasuke away from the kitchen while they baked his giant birthday cookie for tomorrow.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out happily, waving.

"Oh, Sakura, Mikoto-san wanted to see you in the kitchen," Neji informed before Sakura was going to give Naruto the hug.

"Oh, thanks Neji!" She said before running off, leaving Naruto quite unhappy.

"Yes, Mikoto-san?" Sakura breathed out as she arrived in the kitchen.

"Ah! Sakura-chan! I accidentally bought the wrong kind of chocolate chips. It was supposed to be semi-sweet, but I got bitter chocolate chips instead," Mikoto said, pouting like a child.

"Me and Iko are too busy making the dough right now, so could you and a friend go buy the right chocolate chips? Anyone except for Sasuke is fine. I don't want him knowing about the cookie," She told her.

Sakura nodded.

"I'll be back soon, Mikoto-san!" She said as she rushed out of the kitchen.

As she turned the corner, she bumped into Shikamaru's hard chest, who looked down at her curiously.

"Ah! Shikamaru, would you mind going to the grocery store with me super quick?" The pink-haired girl asked without a second thought. He blinked at her in slight confusion.

"Eh, sure," He replied back, obviously thinking that it was "troublesome."

"May I go too?" A new voice asked.

The two turned around to see Sai smiling pleasantly at them. Sakura smiled.

"Yes!" She replied happily as Shikamaru sighed. He didn't have much of a liking for Sai.

"We can just walk there, right?" Sakura asked as they all snuck out the door before Sasuke could notice.

"Well…it only takes about ten minutes to get there, so yeah," Shikamaru said back.

Sakura quietly glanced from Sai to Shikamaru, and back. She could tell the atmosphere was a bit tense.

'_Oh that's right…Sai and Ino dated before…'_

"Oh…so we're getting semi-sweet chocolate chips because Mikoto-san accidentally got the bitter ones," Sakura said, trying her best to break the tension.

"Okay," Shikamaru replied simply, while Sai smiled.

Sakura sighed dramatically.

"Look, I really want you two to get along," She said truthfully, more towards Shikamaru, who scowled.

"I can't get along with someone like him," He said, much to Sakura's surprise. She always knew him as the type of guy to keep quiet about these types of things.

"He hurt Ino," He mumbled, glaring over at Sai, who merely regarded him with a calm expression.

"But…I thought Ino broke up with him," Sakura said, confused.

"Yeah, but that's because Sai was being a stupid boyfriend," Shikamaru replied, his rare temper getting the better of him.

"He kept on going up to girls and calling them 'pretty' or 'beautiful'," He continued. Sakura frowned.

"But didn't Sai use opposites back then"—

"He still talked to them. He didn't stop even when Ino told him to," Shikamaru cut her off and Sakura was even more surprised by now.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru," Sai said before Sakura could speak. Shikamaru shot him a suspicious look.

"Say that to Ino, not me," He said before grabbing Sakura's arm and walking ahead.

"Ah…I guess I'll just head back for now," Sai said, causing Sakura to turn around.

"No, Sai you can still come with us!" She told him. He smiled and shook his head.

"I'll see you back home, Sakura," Sai said before walking back. Sakura frowned.

"Forget him," Shikamaru said.

"He said sorry," Sakura pointed out, observing him carefully.

"And I'll forgive him as long as he apologizes to Ino," He answered back.

"Alright then…" The pink-haired girl said, sighing.

In no time, they were heading back with a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

"Ah…I still don't know what to get Sasuke-kun for his birthday…" Sakura mentioned hopelessly. Shikamaru smirked.

"Sakura, I don't know Sasuke all that well, but I've known him long enough. And I know that he could honestly care less what he gets as presents," He explained. Sakura frowned.

"But…I'm his girlfriend. Girlfriends are supposed to get their boyfriends gifts," She pointed out.

"Actually, it's supposed to be the other way around," He told her, amused.

"Anyway, you know what Ino gives me for my birthdays?" Shikamaru asked, catching Sakura's interest.

"Ah…well, no. She never really mentioned it," Sakura said truthfully.

"That's because it's something you can't just buy," He told her. Sakura rose an eyebrow.

"Love?" She asked. Shikamaru nearly laughed.

"No. She gives me a really special kiss," He replied, blushing slightly. Almost instantly, Sakura began blushing.

"You think I should give Sasuke a kiss for his birthday?" Sakura askd in near disbelief.

"A really special one," Shikamaru corrected.

"Do you really think he'll like that?" She asked, worried. He smirked.

"Sakura, trust me. I'm pretty sure he will," He replied before they both realized they had arrived in front of the summer home.

"Well…ano…thanks for the advice," Sakura said awkwardly while Shikamaru merely smirked. She dashed into the kitchen.

"Mikoto-san, I got the chocolate chips!" She said, placing the bag onto the counter. Mikoto smiled joyfully.

"Oh, good! Iko-chan, come here, come here, let's mix them into the cookie dough," She said, ripping the bag open as Iko quickly rushed to her side.

Sakura watched quietly as Mikoto dumped all of the chocolate chips into the dough, and Iko began mixing it furiously.

"Ah…now we just have to get this onto the cookie sheet…oh, Sakura-chan dear, Sasuke-chan's been looking for you. I heard him asking about you in the living room," Mikoto said, looking over at the girl.

Sakura blinked. "O…okay!" She said shyly before exiting the kitchen.

Once she had come into the view of the Uchiha, he walked over to her, grabbed her hand and dragged her away.

"Why are you always going somewhere without telling me?" Sasuke demanded, startling the girl.

"Ano…I can't tell you right now," Sakura replied teasingly. He scowled.

"Just as long as you're not with other guys…" He muttered and the pink-haired girl instantly felt guilty.

"Well, even if I was with other guys, I'm not romantically involved with them or anything…" Sakura replied, and almost immediately regretted it.

"I don't want you going somewhere with other guys," He snapped. She frowned.

"Shikamaru and Sai aren't"—

She squeaked as he backed her up against the wall.

"That was the wrong thing to say," Sasuke mumbled into her ear, causing her to blush deeply.

"Sasuke-kun…" She whispered.

He backed up a little to look at her face. She was surprised at how embarrassed he looked.

"You're…jealous?" Sakura asked nervously. The Uchiha scowled again before burying his face into her hair.

"No. I just don't like you with other guys," Sasuke said stubbornly. Sakura sweat dropped.

"Sasuke-kun…that's jealousy," She giggled lightly.

"You're so…" He started.

"Annoying?" Sakura guessed, amused. Sasuke paused.

"Unbearable," He finally told her. She pouted, even though he couldn't see.

"Ne, you can get off now, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said quite casually. He sighed heavily, and to her surprise, backed up completely.

"Honestly, you make it hard for me to back off," He muttered truthfully. She blushed again and he smirked.

"P…pervert," Sakura said, avoiding further eye contact with him.

"I'm not dating you only for looks," Sasuke pointed out, crossing his arms. She smiled brightly at him, and he nearly went breathless.

"D…don't do that," He told her strictly. She blinked in confusion.

"Annoying…" He murmured as she continued giving him a puzzled gaze.

"S…Shikamaru-kun, **stop**!"

Ino's yell instantly put an alarmed expression on both Sakura and Sasuke's faces.

Wordlessly, Sasuke gripped onto Sakura's hand and they dashed back into the living room.

Shikamaru was lowering his fisted hand as Sai staggered backwards.

"Shikamaru!" Sakura called out. He glanced over at her. She had never seen him look this annoyed.

"Sorry, Sakura. But this guy…" He started, glaring at Sai.

"He's too much," Shikamaru finished, raising his arm to throw another punch.

Sasuke quickly grabbed his arm while Naruto and Neji rushed up to help.

"Shikamaru, please," Sakura said, touching his still fisted hand.

"You're scaring Ino," She whispered so no one else could hear. He looked her in the eye before sighing, and loosening his hand.

Sakura didn't miss the suspicious look on Sasuke's face.

"He didn't apologize," Shikamaru told her firmly as Sakura glanced over at Sai, who was rubbing his swelling cheek.

"I did," Sai replied, quite calmly.

"'Sorry I didn't honor you and told other girls they're pretty, even though it was quite true' isn't a proper apology," Shikamaru snapped back.

He tensed when Ino touched his shoulder.

"Shikamaru-kun…it's okay. That's probably one of Sai's best apologies yet," Ino told him truthfully.

"I don't think"—

"Shikamaru. Calm down," Neji told him, patting his back.

They all released him and he nearly slumped forward.

"This really bites," Shikamaru muttered, half jokingly.

Ino rolled her eyes as she gave him a reassuring hug.

**END JULY 22**

**000**

**JULY 23**

"Sakura?" Sai called out as he knocked on her door. Sakura jumped up in her bed. Her eyes darted to her clock to read that it was two in the morning.

Quite groggily, she walked over to the door and opened it.

Sai smiled at her.

"Sai-kun…it's two in the morning…" Sakura whimpered.

"I can't sleep," He told her, and she immediately gave him a look of concern.

"Is it because of earlier…?" She asked, trailing off.

"I suppose," Sai replied casually, as he welcomed himself inside her room.

"Ah. It's Sasuke's birthday now, isn't it?" He asked after an awkward pause. Sakura widened her eyes.

"Oh, it is! Maybe I should go surprise him after this"—

"Sakura?" Sai started.

"Does Sasuke…ever do anything to you?" He asked as Sakura stared at him.

"Any…thing…?" She asked, confused.

"Sexual contact," Sai explained bluntly. Sakura blushed a deep red.

"W-w-w-w-we've only gone as far as k-k-kissing," She stammered as Sai nodded slowly.

"Haven't you…?" She started. He shook his head.

"Eh? Really? I thought…" Sakura shook her head.

"I suppose I shouldn't judge people," She said, smiling at him.

"Ah. I'll leave now," Sai said suddenly, standing up.

"E…eh…okay then. See you later, Sai-kun," Sakura said, waving at him before he left the room.

Sakura titled her head to the side.

'_So strange…'_

"Anyway! I should get going to Sasuke-kun's room!" The pink-haired girl declared before bouncing up onto her heels.

"Who's room?"

She yelped in surprise and nearly fell over as she turned around.

"Sasuke-kun! How…" She trailed off.

"I was just walking by. But I saw Sai walk out of here. What did he talk to you about?" Sasuke asked, quite suspiciously. Sakura blushed, remembering Sai's question, while Sasuke cocked up an eyebrow.

"Nothing much. He just wanted to remind me about your birthday and all…" Sakura mumbled. She noticed Sasuke was walking towards her, slowly.

"You need a reminder for my birthday…?" He questioned, now causing her to take a few steps back. She gulped nervously.

"Sai didn't…do anything…" Sakura told him.

She squeaked as the back of her knees met the bed, and she fell backwards.

Sasuke fell after her, on top of her. He listened to her fast-paced breathing and smirked.

"You still haven't said 'happy birthday'," Sasuke whispered into her ear, causing her to shudder.

He rose his head up to see her expression and frowned.

Her eyes were squeezed shut and she looked…scared.

"Sakura…?"

**A/N: I'm almost at 200 reviews! Yay!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. Drunk

**A/N: It's a bit late, but I hope you still enjoy!**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**000**

**CONTINUING JULY 23**

"Sakura, I'm sorry, I"—

Sasuke began blurting out words as he took his body off of hers. She shook her head frantically.

"N…no…I…you…" She couldn't say anything straight.

And then he hugged her. He gave her an innocent, lust-less hug. He rested his chin on top of her head and breathed in the sweet scent of peaches.

"I'm really sorry," He told her. Sakura quickly resisted the urge to cry, and hugged him back tightly.

"Happy birthday," She whispered before standing on her tip toes and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. It was short, as expected, but he still enjoyed the moment thoroughly.

"…Can I go back to sleep now?" Sakura asked. He smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. I should go back now too"—

"No. Can you stay?" She asked, smiling. He ruffled her hair.

"Of course," Sasuke replied as they both plopped down onto her bed and fell asleep.

**000**

"Ah…see? I told you he would be here."

"Itachi-chan, anyone could have guessed that."

"Mom, then why were you shouting 'oh no, where's Sasu-chan' all around the hallways?"

"…Anyway! We should wake them up now, shouldn't we?"

Sasuke lifted up his head lazily.

"I'm already awake," He muttered groggily before Mikoto ran up and hugged him tightly.

"Happy birthday, Sasu-chan!" She squealed with joy. Sasuke was surprised when he felt his shoulder become wet.

"Mom…?" He said.

She backed up, rubbed her eyes and sniffed.

"Sorry Sasu-chan…it's just…I suddenly remembered your birthday when you turned five…so adorable…" Mikoto sighed dreamily.

"And this birthday, you're so…you're really becoming a man!" She exclaimed, glancing over at Sakura who was still asleep and cuddling against Sasuke's chest.

"Now you have a girlfriend…" She continued. "And she definitely loves you for who you are…that was always one of my biggest wishes for you, Sasu-chan," Mikoto said happily.

"How come you never act like this on _my_ birthdays?" Itachi asked, smirking. Mikoto rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, Ita-chan. I know Rain-chan loves you very much," She said, giggling.

"Nn…" Sakura stirred. Mikoto smiled as Sasuke patted her head.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun…" She yawned, looking up at him. She paused when she saw Mikoto and Itachi standing in the room.

"…Good morning," Sakura finally spoke. Mikoto beamed.

"Ita-chan! Let's leave them alone for now!" She said, grabbing the said man's arm.

"Hn…well, happy birthday, little brother," Itachi said before he was hurriedly dragged out of the room.

"I almost forgot it was your birthday, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said, grinning. He rolled his eyes.

"You said happy birthday to me just a few hours ago," He pointed out, poking her cheek. She stuck her tongue out at him cutely.

"I can't wait until your party!" She said cheerfully as she stood up and out of his arms.

"Hn…" Sasuke replied. She pouted.

"You're excited too, right?" The pink-haired girl demanded. Sasuke smirked.

"I'd rather spend the whole day with you," He told her, causing her to blush deeply.

"B…baka! You're so cheesy!" She stammered.

"It's just true," The Uchiha shrugged, standing up and stretching his arms. She grabbed his arm.

"Okay, we're going downstairs now!" Sakura told him, dragging him out of her room.

**000**

"Happy birthday, teme!" Naruto yelled once Sakura and Sasuke had made it downstairs. The blond embraced Sasuke tightly, causing the Uchiha to grimace and shove him away.

After many other birthday greetings, breakfast was finally started.

"So…today, I invited Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Kiba and Chouji. Am I missing anyone?" Mikoto asked, pressing a finger to her lips after scribbling into her note pad.

"Zaku and Kin!" Sakura said. Sasuke gave her a slightly dark look.

"What? They're both good people! And they gave us ways to contact them, so why not?" Sakura asked, pouting. Mikoto looked over at Sasuke.

"…Fine," Sasuke finally said.

"Okay…so, Zaku and Kin…" Mikoto mumbled, writing again. "It's such short notice…I hope they can make it," She murmured.

_Knock, knock!_

"Ur'llgeshit!" Naruto yelled through a mouthful of eggs as he staggered up out of his chair.

He returned back shortly with a red head, a blonde woman and a man with strange tattoos all over his face.

The room suddenly brightened with happiness.

"Gaara-kun!" Sakura shouted cheerfully.

"Hey. Sakura," Gaara replied back, nodding in acknowledgement.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, you haven't met Temari or Kankuro yet, have you?" Mikoto asked, pointing at the two as she said their names.

"No, I haven't," Sakura replied, suddenly growing quite shy. Mikoto beamed at her.

"Hey, I'm Temari! Nice to meet you, Sakura!" The blonde greeted, patting Sakura on the head.

"Nice to meet you too, Temari-san!" The pink-haired girl replied. Temari grimaced.

"Eh, just because we've met doesn't mean you have to be so formal! Call me Temari-chan," Temari said, grinning.

"Ah…Temari-chan! Okay!" Sakura chirped back.

"Yo. I'm Kankuro, Gaara and Temari's brother," The man with the strange tattoos said.

"Nice to meet you, Kankuro-kun," Sakura replied, smiling warmly. He grinned.

"Wow. It's nice to have a cute girl add that suffix to my name," Kankuro said, causing some of the others to laugh. Sasuke scowled at him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"You know, Gaara talks about you a lot. It's kind of suspicious, right?" Kankuro said. Gaara glared lightly at him.

"Not really," The red head muttered back. Temari wrapped an arm around him.

"You don't have to be so shy, little brother! You seemed to be in a pretty good mood when you heard you could see Sakura-chan again!" She said loudly. Gaara sighed.

"Temari, you are imagining things. Also, Sakura already has a boyfriend," He pointed out.

"Ehh? Really? You never said that!" The blonde burst out.

"Who is it?" She demanded.

Gaara glanced up and then pointed at Sasuke, who was sitting down with his arms crossed.

"Oh…so cute…" Temari muttered. Quickly, she turned back to Gaara.

"A…ah! It's okay, little bro! There are tons of other girls"—

"I never said I liked Sakura," Gaara told her.

"Ah. So you don't like her?" She asked. He paused.

"I never said that either," He finally replied, causing everyone to begin talking.

"Whoa, Gaara likes Sakura-chan?" Naruto shouted.

"But Sakura likes Sasuke, don't you, Sakura?" Ino asked, nudging the girl a little too roughly. Sakura looked at Gaara, who was staring at her quite intently.

"Well…yes…" The pink-haired girl replied as Sasuke eyed her suspiciously.

"Then why are you hesitating, Sakura?" Ino whined, frowning.

"Ah, Ino, don't pester her so much. We all know she likes Sasuke the most," Rain pointed out.

_Knock, knock!_

"I…I'll go get that!" Sakura quickly said, hurrying off to the front door.

'_Such an…awkward situation…'_

She walked slowly and the knocking started up again, growing louder.

Sakura sighed heavily as she opened the door, but quickly screamed when something jumped out at her and caused her to topple onto the floor.

Everyone else rushed in at the sound of her scream, with Sasuke, Sai and Gaara leading.

"Akamaru! What did I tell you about pouncing on people?" A familiar voice shouted. It was then that Sakura realized it was a dog that had tackled her down.

The dog licked at her face happily. Sakura giggled as she patted his head.

"Kiba-kun!" Sakura greeted as Kiba pulled Akamaru off of her. He grinned.

"Sorry about that!" He said, helping her up. He wasn't aware of the glares he was receiving then.

"It's okay! But it's amazing! Akamaru's grown so much!" Sakura exclaimed in awe, looking over at the big dog.

"Yeah, he eats too much," Kiba said, putting his hands into his pockets.

"Any who, you look pretty different. Still really cute though," He told her, ruffling her pink hair. She blushed lightly.

"Same goes for you!" She replied, beaming. Ino rolled her eyes when she saw the expressions on the faces of Sasuke, Gaara and Sai.

'_Sakura…could you be anymore of a flirt? It's amazing though, how you don't even notice.'_

Ino smirked lightly.

"Oh, hey guys! Didn't notice you there," Kiba said, waving.

"I challenge you!" Naruto yelled instantly, going into a fighting stance. The other followed suit.

"Oh yeah? At what?" He demanded.

"Later, tonight! Drinking contest!" The blond shouted, eyes burning. Kiba smirked.

"Well, you're being bold. Don't you know what you're going up against?" He asked.

"Ask yourself that!" Naruto replied, sticking his tongue out. Kiba scowled.

"Why you…" He said before pouncing on him. The two battled in an unserious matter, merely tugging at each other or punching lightly as everyone else merely watched and laughed.

_Knock knock!_

Sasuke frowned. He had a feeling he knew who it was.

Before he could answer the door himself, Sakura was already there, opening it.

Everyone watched as strong arms quickly wrapped around the pink-haired girl.

"Sakura-chan!" An unpleasantly familiar voice shouted out. Sakura giggled softly.

"Hello, Zaku-kun!" She said, causing Sasuke to narrow his eyes and cross his arms.

After what seemed like days to the Uchiha, Zaku let go of the girl and stepped inside the summer home.

"Oh, yo, Uchiha!" He called out, waving. Sasuke merely nodded, glaring lightly.

"Oh, hello Zaku-san! It's good you were able to make it!" Mikoto said as she walked into the living room.

"It's good to see you, Uchiha-san," Zaku said, smiling. Sakura blinked in confusion.

"Ano…where's Kin-chan?" The pink-haired girl asked. Zaku looked away for a while before looking back.

"Kin? We broke up weeks ago," He replied casually, crossing his arms behind his head. Naruto rose an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" He asked. Zaku shrugged.

"Yeah. We just never really saw eye to eye, you know?" He pointed out, shrugging again carelessly.

"And she didn't want to come over…?" Sakura asked, frowning slightly. Zaku patted her shoulder.

"You know, Sakura-chan…" He started. Sakura sighed.

"Kin-chan never really liked me," She mumbled sadly. Zaku beamed.

"It's okay though. We don't need her here!" He said cheerfully. She smiled back reluctantly and said nothing.

**000**

"Iko-chan! How's Sasu-chan's giant cookie coming along?" Mikoto called out as she entered the kitchen.

Iko bent down to peer into the oven.

"It's great! Almost done!" She replied, taking in the sweet scent of freshly baking cookies.

"Wah! That smells good!" Sakura said as she walked in, closing her eyes. Mikoto beamed.

"Is everything ready outside?" She asked the pink-haired girl.

"Yes!" Sakura replied back.

"Except…Sasuke-kun doesn't really want to come out of his room," Sakura added. The Uchiha woman huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Sasu-chan never really liked parties," She sighed.

"Not even his own," She added, crossing her arms.

"Sakura-chan, would you mind persuading Sasu-chan into coming down here already?" Mikoto asked, looking very annoyed. Sakura noted that she looked a bit terrifying like that.

She nodded quickly and jogged over to his room.

"Sasuke-kun? Sasuke-kun," She called out, knocking on his door. The door opened seconds later, revealing the annoyed looking Uchiha.

"My mom told you to get me, right?" Sasuke asked, sighing. Sakura giggled lightly.

"Yup. I think you should though. It's your birthday party, after all," She told him.

"Like I said, I'd rather spend my day with you," He said, causing her to blush.

"Sasuke-kun…c'mon," Sakura urged, now tugging on his hand. He glanced at her reluctantly.

"Pretty please?" Sakura asked, pouting at him. Sasuke sighed heavily.

"Fine," He muttered, allowing her to drag him downstairs and into the backyard.

"Finally, teme! We all thought you would never show up!" Naruto complained as he walked away from the punch bowl.

"Sasu-chan! You actually came down!" Mikoto squealed as she ran over and hugged her son.

"Hn…" Sasuke said back, frowning.

"Sasuke, brighten up. It's your birthday," Fugaku advised strictly.

"Yeah, and look at this thing me and Mikoto-sama had to bake for you!" Iko said loudly as she walked in, holding the giant cookie and bringing it to the table.

Sasuke sighed as Iko placed it down on the table.

"That looks _good_," Someone behind Sasuke commented. He and Sakura turned around to see Chouji standing there with his usual bag of barbeque flavored chips.

"Ah! Chouji-kun, when did you get here?" Sakura asked.

"Just a few minutes ago," Iko answered for him, smiling happily.

"Ah man. That does look good," Kiba said as he sniffed loudly. Sasuke grimaced at him while Sakura giggled.

"Sit down, sit down!" Mikoto called out to her son, hitting the chair in front of the giant cookie.

Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand before walking towards the chair quite grumpily.

"Okay everyone! On three! One, two…three!"

A cheerful chorus of 'Happy Birthday' broke out and when that was done, everyone instantly went for the cookie.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Ino said as she took a big bite out of her cookie piece, causing Shikamaru to smirk.

"You guys need to make something like this for my birthday," Ten Ten commented before shoving a piece into Neji's mouth and laughing.

"I'd be able to eat this all day…" Rain sighed happily.

After everyone ate at least five pieces each, the whole group split up, some staying by the table, some turning up the music and dancing, and others just walking around.

Sasuke sat down in his seat, watching as Naruto and Kiba argued about who could dance the best. He glanced over to look at Sakura, who was getting another drink with Hinata.

He suddenly remembered when Naruto had spiked the drinks last year. Then, he froze.

"Dobe, you didn't spike the"—

It was too late. Everyone knew that Hinata and Sakura were extremely light drinkers and they had already drunk three full cups of punch each.

"Naruto, Kiba, you two both suck at dancing so stop freaking arguing!" Hinata yelled out, putting her hands on her hips. Naruto laughed nervously.

"I guess it wasn't such a great idea to spike the drinks again this year huh…" He muttered.

"S…Sakura! Keep you shirt _on_!" Ino cried out, causing Sasuke to look towards them instead.

"But it's so hot…" Sakura whined, trying to wiggle out of Ino's grip.

"Sasuke, can you…?" Ino asked, trying her best to keep Sakura's hands together.

"Just take her to her room or something. She'll knock out in a few minutes, I swear," The blonde said when she saw Sasuke's hesitant expression.

Sasuke scooped the pink-haired girl in her arms who began to wiggle like a fish out of water.

He walked passed Hinata, who was raging on about how dense and annoying Naruto was, and also by Sai, who eyed him quite carefully.

"Have fun, little brother," Itachi teased as he walked passed him. Sasuke turned around to glare at him before entering the house.

It was troublesome getting Sakura up the stairs. She was squirming around nonstop and she was constantly kicking her legs around.

"Sakura, stop this," Sasuke told her once they were half way up the stairs. Sakura whined.

"I wanna stay down there and dance with Naruto and Kiba and eat cookies and"—

"You can do all that stuff later," He replied hastily.

"What are you going to do to me, Sasuke-kun?" The pink-haired girl asked suspiciously. Sasuke sighed.

"I'm just going to keep you from trouble and"—

"You're just jealous I'm looking at other guys," Sakura interrupted, rolling her eyes. Sasuke glared at her lightly.

He was now carrying her to his room. He kicked the door open and put her down before closing the door.

"Sakura, just lie down there. Ino said you'd fall asleep any minute now…" Sasuke began muttering.

"Sasuke-kun, it's so hot in here…" Sakura whispered, reaching down to take off her shirt again. He cringed before grabbing her arms.

He guided her over to his bed and put her down there.

To his surprise, she spun around and fell with him on top of the bed.

"Sakura, what're you"—

Sasuke widened his eyes slightly when she tried taking off her shirt once again.

He opened his mouth to protest, but her lips quickly pressed onto his.

It took Sasuke a lot of his self control to push her off of him. He glared at her, and flipped them over, so that he was on top of her.

She reached over to take off his shirt now, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to her sides. She blinked in confusion, before smiling.

"That's _hot_, Sasuke-kun," She told him, causing him to shudder slightly.

"Sakura, I'm not going to do anything to you," Sasuke told her. She pouted.

"And why not?" She asked. He sighed.

"You're drunk. I'm not going to take advantage of you like this," He explained.

"So…if I wasn't drunk, would you do something to me?" Sakura asked. He frowned.

"No. I know you wouldn't want it," The Uchiha replied. She moaned and he flinched.

"But I want it right now…" Sakura whined. He lowered his head down to whisper into her ear.

"You're _drunk_. Stop acting like this," Sasuke hissed. He could feel how hot her face was now.

"You're turned on. I'm turned on. So why not?" Sakura asked, ignoring his protests. He blushed before she smirked happily.

"I won't take advantage of you. That's it," Sasuke snapped. Her eyes were now half-lidded.

"I…love you, Sasuke-kun," She whispered before her eyes closed completely. Sasuke watched her for a few minutes, listening to her steady breathing. He sighed and rolled off of her.

"It's going to be hard when you two have to part," A voice behind him said. Sasuke turned around calmly to see Itachi leaning against the door frame.

"Don't remind me," Sasuke told him, sighing. Itachi crossed his arms.

"It's true. You'll be miles apart again. She'll be sad…bored," Itachi continued.

"She can stay here," Sasuke said, though he knew there was no point. His older brother frowned.

"You know that's not good for her. And you also know it's not possible for you to go over there," He pointed out.

"Maybe if I"—

"Sasuke, we have to do what's best for the company right now. It's already in trouble because of the Gane family," Itachi explained. Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"Damn, why are you being so negative to me right now?" He demanded.

"They are just simple thoughts, little brother," Itachi replied. Sasuke looked over at the sleeping girl on his bed.

"I love her. I can't let her go," He whispered.

"The days are limited, Sasuke. Make use of them," Itachi told him before leaving the room.

**END JULY 23**

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	17. Yumi's Departure

**A/N: Hello!**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**000**

**JULY 24**

'_Eh…EHHHHHH…'_

Sakura sat up painfully, holding her head in her hands. She groaned.

"Finally awake," A voice beside her said. She gasped when she saw Sasuke there, lying down with the blanket over his head.

"W…what time is it?" She asked, cringing at her immense headache.

"One in the afternoon," Sasuke replied casually, amused at her shocked expression.

"You have a hangover right now," He added. She frowned.

"The drinks were…spiked again, weren't they?" Sakura asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Courtesy of the dobe. Are you hungry?" He asked her. She sighed before flopping back onto the bed.

"No…I'm tired," She moaned. He sighed and he began stroking her pink locks.

"What exactly happened last night? Did I say or do anything…weird?" Sakura asked after a few minutes of silence. Sasuke's cheeks turned pink, which went unnoticed by the pink-haired girl.

"…No," He replied as calmly as possible. Sakura pouted.

"You're lying…" She whined. Sasuke sighed.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked. She looked up at the ceiling.

"Yes," She finally replied, quite reluctantly. He looked away for a while, cheeks darkening.

"You were trying to…" Sasuke started uncertainly while Sakura began to brace herself. She didn't say anything; only nodded for him to continue.

"Trying to…get me to have sex with you," He admitted, cheeks now red. Sakura's face also turned red, and she quickly looked away.

"H…how embarrassing…" She hissed to herself.

"Was it…bad?" Sakura asked.

"You were just…_really_ persistent," He answered back. She blushed again.

The room was silent and awkward.

"I'm sorry…" She finally said. Sasuke shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault. It was the stupid dobe's," He replied.

Once again, there was another awkward pause.

Sakura looked over at him uncertainly. She frowned, scooted over and hugged him.

"Don't let things like that make it awkward between us," She told him strictly. He slowly returned her hug and sighed.

"I know you…probably want it but…" Sakura started.

"No," Sasuke said quickly.

"No. I don't need it," He told her. She frowned.

"But you _want_ it. I'm just sorry I can't give it to you. Not now," Sakura said, growing embarrassed.

"It doesn't even matter, Sakura," He told her, pulling her closer. She smiled softly at his reassuring tone.

"Ah…I didn't even get to spend a lot of time with you on your birthday yesterday…" Sakura said, feeling suddenly disappointed. He scoffed.

"You know I don't care much for my birthday, Sakura. If you want, we can spend the whole day together, right here," Sasuke suggested, grabbing her hand.

"Y…yeah!" She replied, grinning before groaning in pain again from her hangover.

The couple spent the whole day in Sasuke's room, watching movies on the TV, cuddling, and napping.

**END JULY 24**

**000**

**JULY 25**

"Moving?" Sakura stated, staring at the girl in disbelief. The blonde rolled her eyes and flipped her hair.

"Yes, Haruno. I'm moving out of here," Yumi repeated. Sakura frowned.

"But…"

"But what? You thought I could forgive you for everything?" She asked.

"A little…" Sakura replied truthfully.

"Well then, you're wrong. You spent the whole day in Sasuke's room. I don't even want to know what you did with him there"—

"Nothing. We've never had any sexual contact," Sakura cut in quickly. Yumi blinked in mild surprise before quickly regaining her expression.

"Good. Keep it that way. Don't tell anyone I left. No one will probably notice anyways," The blonde trailed off, almost sadly.

"D…don't go," The pink-haired girl said as Yumi opened the door.

"Oh, shut up," She said before dragging her luggage out with her and slamming the door shut.

Sakura looked over at the clock. Three in the morning.

Sighing loudly, she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Didn't expect to see you here," A voice said.

She jumped up slightly and looked over to see Neji sitting himself down across from her.

"Oh…good morning, Neji-kun," Sakura greeted. He nodded.

"Do you usually wake up this early?" She asked curiously.

"Usually, yes," He replied. There was a pause.

"Why are you here?" Neji asked calmly.

"Yumi-chan just left…" Sakura explained. He looked slightly surprised.

"Yumi?" He asked.

"Yes…" She said, pouting.

"Then, that's a good thing. No more trouble for Uchiha," Neji pointed out. Sakura smiled.

"Yeah, but I was just hoping we'd become friends," She said.

"Maybe some day, Sakura. But there was something I needed to talk to you about," He said.

"What is it?" Sakura asked as Yumi's departure began to drift away from her mind.

"Is it about Ten Ten?" She asked. His cheeks turned pink.

"No. It's about Sasuke," Neji replied. Sakura frowned.

"Is it something…bad?" Sakura asked. Neji looked away for a while.

"You know that after this vacation, you might not ever see Sasuke again, right?" He asked her.

"I never really thought about it…"

"The Uchiha company is in a crisis because of the cancellation of the contract with the Gane company. Sasuke will need to be around here in America to help prevent the company from falling apart," Neji began.

"Then…your family's company is good too, right? Can't you two just form a contract together?" Sakura asked. Neji's eyes widened a bit and he went silent.

"…That's a good idea," He muttered, beginning to smirk.

"That is."

Sakura and Neji turned around to see Itachi and Sasuke standing there, looking calm.

"…Do all guys wake up this early…?" Sakura asked. Neji smirked.

"No. Just us three," He replied.

"Anyway, Sakura. That actually is a pretty good idea. I'm not sure if the Hyuuga company is good enough to save us, but it'll definitely help us in some way," Itachi commented, patting the girl's head.

"I don't know why we didn't think about it before," Sasuke mentioned, frowning.

"Then…Sasuke-kun won't have to leave…?" Sakura asked. Sasuke's expression softened.

"I'll have to stay in America for a while, Sakura," He told her, clutching her hand. She sighed, but smiled.

"That's okay. I'll always be thinking of you," Sakura told him. He frowned.

"There's always possibilities, Uchiha. But for now, we have to go inform your father of the suggested arrangements," Neji said. The two Uchiha brothers nodded.

"Get some sleep, okay?" Sasuke told Sakura before following the two boys up the stairs. She quickly nodded before lying down on the couch. She pouted.

She couldn't sleep. She couldn't sleep with the thought of not being able to see Sasuke later on. Now that she was with him, she couldn't bear to let him go. Not again.

They only had five days left.

**000**

"Sakura? Were you always here?" Rain asked once she had spotted the curled up ball on the couch.

"Yes…" She muttered back sadly. Rain frowned and went to sit down next to her.

"What happened?" The dark-haired girl asked, stroking Sakura's hair a few times. Sakura sighed heavily before sitting up gently.

"I don't think I'll ever see Sasuke-kun again after this trip…" She admitted.

"Maybe you can go with him?" Rain suggested. The pink-haired girl shook her head sadly.

"Sasuke-kun would be too busy…and Ino…I can't leave Ino"—

"Who said _that_?"

Both Sakura and Rain turned towards the voice and saw Ino there. Her arms were crossed and her hip was pushed elegantly to one side.

"Sakura, it's alright if we part ways for a while," The blonde sighed, taking the other seat beside her. Sakura glanced away nervously.

"What if we never see"—

"You can go with Sasuke. And besides, I'll probably follow Shikamaru to America too," Ino winked, causing Rain to giggle.

"See, Sakura-chan? I'm sure things will work out fine in the end," Rain said, smiling at Sakura. The girl smiled back reluctantly.

"Ano…what about you and Itachi-kun?" Ino asked curiously. Rain blushed.

"Of course I'll be following him where he goes," She replied, grinning. Ino sighed happily.

"Well then, I hope everyone else gets their own happy ending…" She said. Sakura frowned at the thought of Yumi sitting at home, unhappy.

"Yumi-chan left," Sakura said unconsciously. Ino blinked in surprise.

"Eh? Well, it's about time she did," She replied, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but…" Sakura started.

"Sakura, it's okay. You tried her best to become her friend. She's just not your type, that's all," The blonde said.

Sakura managed a smile, before looking away and pouting again.

"By the way, you and Sasuke spent the entire day yesterday in your room, didn't you?" Ino demanded, grinning boldly. Sakura blushed.

"What did you guys do?" Rain asked from pure curiosity.

"N…nothing! Just couple stuff…" Sakura said quickly. Ino rose an eyebrow.

"Sexy couple stuff…or cute couple stuff?" The blonde asked suspiciously, causing Sakura's cheeks to grow more florid.

"Definitely not anything sexy!" She squeaked back. Rain and Ino exchanged looks and giggled.

"You're so adorable," Rain teased the pink-haired girl, pinching her cheeks.

**000**

"Sai-kun!" Sakura called out as she walked into the backyard. The said boy looked away from his sketch book and turned to face her. He smiled.

"Hello, Sakura," He greeted pleasantly as he returned back to his work. She noticed as she bent down to sit beside him that he was sketching the cloudy sky above.

"That's…pretty," She commented, beaming. Then, she noticed that he was beginning to sketch swallows. She rose an eyebrow.

"I thought you can't draw things that you can't see," The pink-haired girl said thoughtfully. He shrugged.

"I think you give me…inspiration," Sai mumbled as he quickly added finishing touches to the realistic looking swallows. She blushed from embarrassment.

"Where's Sasuke?" Sai suddenly asked, absently. Sakura looked down at the pond in thought.

"Ano…he's probably still having business talk with Neji and his dad," She replied.

"What if I told you…I liked you?" Sai asked as he lazily outlined clouds with his pencil. Sakura froze. Finally, she blinked and turned to look at him.

"I've…never really met other girls like you. Other…genuine girls," He told her, dropping his pencil into the pond.

"Ah…!" Sakura squeaked as the koi fish surrounded it, but quickly moved away from it when they realized it wasn't food.

"Whenever I see you," Sai sighed, looking at her.

"I feel…weightless…and happy," He explained, frowning in a frustrated matter.

"I'm sure you'll meet someone better than me," Sakura commented, beaming.

"No. I don't think I will," He decided ultimately. Sakura sighed slightly.

"I know," Sai added quickly before she could open her mouth.

"I know you like Sasuke," He told her, emotionlessly.

"I just…thought I should let you know," Sai shrugged lightly as he reached into his pocket and took out another pencil.

"You're an amazing person," He said, causing the girl to feel guilty.

"I'm…sorry," Sakura finally whispered. To her surprise, his face was slowly growing closer to hers. Her eyes widened, then quickly slid tightly shut.

"Wait, no"—

SPLASH

Sakura slowly blinked her eyes open to see Sai floating in the koi fish pond. She whipped around to see Sasuke standing there, glaring.

The Uchiha grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her up, wrapping one arm around her shoulder.

"Who do you think you are?" Sasuke demanded.

"I'm Sai," Sai replied coolly as he lifted himself back up from the pond. Sasuke roughly pushed him back in, and Sakura yelled.

"Sasuke-kun! Stop it now!" She shouted. He scowled at her.

"He tried to kiss you," Sasuke pointed out.

"It's okay! Maybe he was just…" She trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Don't try to find excuses or defend him now. Let's go," The raven-haired boy said before pushing Sai, once again, back into the pond.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura winced as Sasuke's grip on her wrist grew tighter. He guided her inside the house and slid the door shut.

"Bastard," Sasuke muttered. It wasn't until he let go of Sakura's wrist that he had noticed how tightly he was holding onto her.

Quickly, yet gently, he took her wrist into his hands and observed it.

"Sorry…" He mumbled, embarrassed and guilty, when he noticed that a purple bruise was already beginning to spread. Sakura grimaced lightly.

"It's…alright," She said back. Sasuke shook his head.

He walked over to the window, and watched as Sai sank back into the pond thoughtlessly. The Uchiha scowled.

**000**

"Wah! That's great news!" Rain exclaimed as Itachi explained to Rain how the Uchiha and Hyuuga companies would finally be forming a contract together. He smirked.

"That means…" She started, staring up at him hopefully. He cocked up an eyebrow.

"That means we can still be together even after vacation's over?" She finished. He gazed at her momentarily before sighing. She frowned.

"It's be…difficult. I'll be busy. And you'll just be…" Itachi winced at what he was about to say. Rain sucked in a quick breath, waiting for the blow.

"A burden," He told her. She sighed heavily and pouted.

"I…I had a feeling you would say that. But…I won't be. As long as I get to see you everyday"—

"And what if you don't?" Itachi interrupted, surprising her. She bit her bottom lip.

"Can't you just…" She started stubbornly.

"I can't. I want to, Rain. But face reality. You don't even have to wait for me"—

"I really like you. I really sincerely like you," Rain told him, now glaring at him lightly.

"You should be more like Sasuke…and how he is to Sakura-chan. Why are you so negative?" She asked.

"That's because he can't stand to hurt her," Itachi explained, ruffling his hair. Rain looked pained.

"So that means you can stand to hurt me?" She asked quickly. Itachi pulled her into a hug, despite her silent protests.

"I just know you can take anything I throw at you," He told her. She glared again, but playfully this time.

"You're such an ass…" She muttered before he pulled her in for a quick kiss.

**END JULY 25**

**A/N: Thank you for reading!**


	18. Hospital

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Thank you to those who helped me reach 200 reviews!**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**000**

**JULY 26**

"He…he _what_?" Ino demanded once Sakura had finished explaining Sai's intentions to her. The blonde threw one of her pillows across the room in a quick fit.

"The nerve! You're a taken woman! And he…_he_," She gasped for air after her voice had hit an unpleasant octave. Sakura frowned.

"I…It's okay though. Sasuke-kun took care of him. But…" The pink-haired girl trailed off, sighing. Ino gave her a look of disbelief.

"You don't feel _sorry_ for him, do you?" The blonde asked, grabbing Sakura's shoulders, startling her.

"Ino, I have to at least give him…you know…a proper closure," The pink-haired girl declared. Ino groaned dramatically.

"You just feel sorry for the guy, that's all. But I guess as long as it's closure, it's fine. Just don't let him do anything, alright?" Ino asked. Sakura smiled lightly, and nodded.

"I swear the next time I see that guy…" She muttered angrily, causing Sakura to giggle.

**000**

"Ino told me you're going to talk to him again," Sasuke said disdainfully, glancing over at his pink-haired girlfriend. She sighed and made a face.

"It's okay, Sasuke-kun. It'll be quick and easy, I promise," She told him, smiling. He scowled.

"And you can't be around, alright? I want you far away," Sakura said strictly, poking his chest.

"That's something I can't do," He told her, crossing his arms.

"I'm not leaving you alone with that guy anymore," He added crossly. Sakura stuck her tongue out childishly.

"I'll be just fine, Sasuke-kun. I won't let him touch me!" She announced, beaming. He sighed as he stared at her.

"You're really something," Sasuke told her as he pushed her away. She giggled before running off to go find Sai.

**000**

Sakura sighed heavily as she entered the house again. She couldn't find Sai anywhere.

Glumly, she plopped down onto the couch and rested her elbows on her knees.

"He's not anywhere inside the house…he's not by the koi pond…where could…" She blinked, and then smiled.

The pink-haired girl ran outside again. Sure enough, the ladder was angled so that anyone could climb up onto the roof.

As stealthily as she could, she climbed up each step, and peeked over the roof. Sai was sitting there with his legs crossed, and looking up at the sky.

Sakura knocked on one of the roof tiles, and the boy whipped around.

He didn't smile, and turned back around as if she wasn't even there.

"Sai…" She muttered as she began to hoist herself onto the roof. Suddenly, she lost her footing on the ladder. Her hand caught onto the ledge of the roof, but quickly slid off.

She gasped. She felt an unbearable pain, heard Sai's yelling, and then everything else seemed to sink into darkness.

**000**

Sakura felt horrible. Her head was painfully throbbing and her left arm felt extremely stiff. She whined softly as she opened her eyes.

"Sakura!" Ino cried out as she hugged the girl's head. Sakura winced.

"Ino, calm down!" Ten Ten said, pulling the girl back. The blonde sniffed, and Sakura was surprised to see that Ino's eyes were bright red.

"T…the doctor said…you might go into a coma…but I'm so glad that you didn't…" The blonde said, rubbing her eyes.

A loud sigh was heard, and Sakura turned her head to see Sasuke sitting in a chair right next to her, with his arms crossed.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura said.

"Only you can manage to fall down from the roof and break your arm…" He muttered sourly. She hadn't realized until that moment that her arm was broken.

She marveled silently at the cast on her arm.

"Oh, Sakura-chan!" Mikoto said loudly as she stroked the cast gently.

"You should've seen how scared Sasuke looked when Sai came in shouting about how you fell!" Naruto shouted, causing the Uchiha to blush.

"I thought I saw you shed a few tears earlier, dobe," Sasuke teased as Naruto then turned red.

"I just…got something in my eye," He mumbled crossly. Sakura beamed at them.

"Oh, where's Sai anyway?" She asked after she had realized that he wasn't around.

"Ugh. Sasuke shooed him off," Ino said, rolling her eyes. Sakura frowned at Sasuke, who looked away quickly.

"Sasuke-kun, you should be glad he was there to tell you that I fell," She told him. If she could, they were pretty sure that she would be crossing her arms right now.

"I think we actually should've given Sai a chance, teme. He cares about Sakura-chan too," Naruto pointed out. Sasuke scowled.

"If Sakura didn't decide to go clear things up with that bastard for what he did, none of this would've even happened," He shot back.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, you'll have to stay in here for about two days," Mikoto said sadly. Sakura pouted.

"But there's only a few days of vacation left…and I'll be spending most of it in this hospital…" She said, frowning.

"I'm sorry…" The pink-haired girl muttered. Sasuke put his hand on top of hers and sighed.

"It can't be helped then. I'll stay with you here," He told her, nodding. She blushed and looked around frantically.

"B…but you'll get bored! And…and"—

"Sakura-chan, this is Sasuke-chan's decision. There's not much you can do to change his mind," Mikoto said, smiling brightly.

"Are you…are you really okay with this?" Sakura asked, looking up at the Uchiha.

"I want to spend as much time as I can with you right now, Sakura," Sasuke replied, beginning to look embarrassed. Sakura beamed.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," She told him.

"Ano…" Sakura started. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"Can you…look for Sai? Tell him I want to see him," Sakura requested. Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh.

"If any of us see him, we'll tell him," Shikamaru spoke up from the corner of the room. Sakura sent him a grateful look while Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Ah…what an unfortunate event. But eh…I should be getting back to the summer home now. There's a lot to do, but…" Mikoto started, looking at Sakura's arm uncertainly.

"Ah, you can go Mikoto-san! It's okay!" Sakura said quickly, smiling. Mikoto wailed, much to everyone's surprise.

"You're such a nice girl, Sakura-chan!" She yelled as she walked out of the room.

"Mikoto-san is so…wonderful," Sakura commented as Sasuke scoffed, amused.

"Oh, that reminds me, me and Shika-chan had a date today," Ino said casually, looking up at the clock.

"Are you sure it's okay to leave like this just for that?" Shikamaru asked with his arms crossed. Ino immediately pouted.

"Shikamaru, just go," Sakura urged quietly. Shikamaru sighed as he watched her. He finally stood up and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Fine. Let's go, Ino," He gestured over to the door. Ino huffed before grabbing his arm and walking out of the room.

A few minutes later, the door slid open, and Sai appeared. Sasuke jumped in his chair, meaning to stand up and deny him, but Sakura gave him a quick look.

"…Shikamaru said that you wanted to see me," Sai said, looking over at Sakura, who smiled gently at him. Sasuke scowled, facing away.

"Yes! I just um…I was just hoping you wouldn't blame yourself on anything that happened to me," Sakura said carefully. Sai kept on the same facial expression the entire time.

"Of course I wouldn't. What happened to you was all your doing," Sai replied. Sakura's hurt expression quickly faded.

"Y…yeah, I guess so…" Sakura replied reluctantly. Sasuke finally turned to look at Sai, and glared at him.

"It _is_ your fault," Sasuke said to Sai.

"Whatever Sakura decides to do has nothing to do with me. It's not my fault that she was being stupid," He shrugged. Sasuke stood up.

"Don't!" Sakura cried out. Naruto and Neji also stood up, looking alarmed.

"If you're not going to apologize, just get out!" Naruto snapped angrily. Neji crossed his arms, nodding crossly.

"Gladly," Sai remarked as he made to slide the door open. Sasuke landed a hand onto his shoulder harshly, forcing him to turn around.

"If you're not going to apologize, then you'd better stay away," The Uchiha said before pushing Sai towards the door. Sai said nothing as he left.

"Sasuke-kun…don't you think that was a bit…mean?" Sakura asked, frowning. Sasuke scoffed.

"He was the bastard…" He told her.

"_Ah, Sasu-chan. Where's Sakura-chan?" Mikoto asked as she walked into the living room. Sasuke turned the page of the book he was reading. Naruto was seated next to him, reading a comic. _

"_She went to go look for Sai," He replied disdainfully. Mikoto sighed. _

"_Maybe you should be the one to talk to him, Sasu-chan," She suggested. _

"_Then again…you might murder him instead…" She added with a sweat drop. Sasuke rolled his eyes. _

_Suddenly, the door burst open. _

"_Sai, you look terrible!" Mikoto gasped. Sai's face was red and his hair was sticking to his face from the sweat. He clutched his chest, panting. _

"_It's…Sakura…!" He started, and Sasuke and Mikoto immediately looked alarmed. _

"_What happened?" Sasuke and Naruto demanded, standing up. _

"_She fell. She fell from the roof…" Sai replied, causing Mikoto to put a hand over her mouth and begin crying. _

"_Where?" Sasuke continued, grabbing Sai as he ran out the door. Naruto followed suit._

Sasuke shook his head at the memory. He never wanted to see Sakura look like that again. He glanced over at the girl on the hospital bed, and frowned.

The room was pure silence, until the sound of Naruto's growling stomach echoed throughout the room. The blonde grinned, embarrassed.

"Heh…sorry, I'm a bit hungry…" He muttered. Sakura giggled.

"You guys can go on and eat. I'll be fine," She told them all.

"Ah, sorry, Sakura-chan," Naruto said quickly before leaving. Hinata smiled and gave Sakura a quick squeeze of the hand before following Naruto out. Neji and Ten Ten exchanged farewells with her before taking their own leave.

"Sasuke-kun, you can go eat too," Sakura said, tilting her head to the side. He sighed.

"I'll bring us both back some food. What do you want?" Sasuke asked her, approaching the door. Sakura brought a finger to her lips.

"Mm…I've been craving miso soup," She shrugged. Sasuke rose an eyebrow.

"Is that all?" He asked. Sakura nodded happily. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and left the room.

**000**

"You know…I really had a feeling that you would get me more than just miso soup…" Sakura told Sasuke as he set down her food in front of her. Her tray consisted of sushi rolls, a sandwich, and a large bowl of miso soup.

He sat down beside her, with his tray consisting of the same thing.

"Ah…it was your right arm that broke wasn't it?" Sasuke questioned when he noticed her having trouble using chopsticks with her left hand. She blushed, and nodded slowly.

"I'll have to take care of that," He said as he took her chopsticks away from her. He picked up a piece of sushi, dipped it into the soy sauce, and held it up against her lips.

"You…don't really…" She began. But he pushed the food against her mouth. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth and let him feed her. Her face turned red as he chewed.

"Heh…" He looked away. She pouted.

"What…?" She asked curiously. He looked back, smirking.

"You're…cute," Sasuke said before picking up a spoon. He lifted a spoonful of miso soup to her mouth.

Sakura huffed before opening her mouth and slurping the soup. After they had both finished eating, Sasuke took out a small package.

"And for dessert…" He muttered, opening up a box of chocolate pocky. Her eyes lit up happily.

"Here," He said, poking a pocky stick into her mouth. She lifted up her left hand to hold it, but Sasuke quickly grabbed her hand and lowered it back onto her lap.

Smirking mischievously, he took the other end of the pocky stick into his own mouth. Sakura blushed and made to back away, but Sasuke pulled her back in.

"Whoever finishes the pocky stick wins," He mumbled through the stick in his mouth. She glared at him playfully, but began to eat the pocky. He followed suit, slowly.

Sakura shut her eyes as she continued eating. She could soon feel the pocky stick growing smaller, and Sasuke's breathing coming closer.

Once she felt his hot breath over her lips, she blinked her eyes open and saw that the pocky stick was nearly nonexistent. Sasuke looked coolly into her eyes before eating up the last of the pocky, and pressing his lips onto hers.

Unconsciously, Sakura clutched onto the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. A sound passed through Sakura's lips, and Sasuke quickly pulled back, panting for air.

"Sorry…" He muttered, glancing away. Sakura sighed shakily.

"You always apologize every time we kiss," She pointed out, a faint smile growing on her lips. He sighed and ruffled his hair.

"It's because I feel like I'm taking advantage of you," Sasuke explained. Sakura rose an eyebrow.

"And why's that?" She asked. He scowled.

"You're in a hospital bed with a broken arm, and I forced you to eat a pocky stick with me. Tell me that that doesn't sound like taking an advantage," He told her. She stuck out her tongue.

"You're not taking advantage," She answered back, grabbing onto his hand.

"I like you, Sasuke-kun. Do I have to say that every time?" Sakura asked. Sasuke smirked.

"Maybe you should," He whispered before kissing her again.

**000**

"I'm so sorry I didn't come here earlier, Sakura!" Rain cried out as she burst into the hospital room. Itachi soon followed after her.

Sakura widened her eyes in surprise, and Sasuke sighed.

"She came running all the way here," Itachi said. Rain huffed.

"You have no idea how bad I felt when I heard you broke your arm!" She continued, shaking her head. Itachi wrapped an arm around her in a comforting way.

"Ne, it's okay, Rain-chan," Sakura replied. Rain frowned.

"I'll visit everyday!" Rain declared while Sasuke scoffed. Itachi smirked.

"Little brother, are you going to stay here twenty-four seven?" He asked, teasing. Sasuke glared at him.

"And so what if I am?" Sasuke demanded.

"That's cute," Itachi mocked.

"Itachi-kun! If I were in the hospital, wouldn't _you_ stay with me?" Rain asked, irritated.

"Of course," He answered back, right away. Rain rolled her eyes.

"Then stop bothering Sasuke with what he's doing. He's being perfectly sweet," She pointed out. Sasuke smirked smugly at his older brother, who glared back.

"Eh. Let's go out somewhere, Rain," Itachi spoke up, grabbing the girl's hand.

"Ah, fine…we'll be back tomorrow, Sakura-chan!" Rain called out before Itachi dragged her out the door. Sakura waved weakly as she door slid shut. She sighed.

"What? Are you bored?" Sasuke asked. She smiled.

"Nope! Sasuke-kun is here, so I'm happy!" She replied in a chirp.

"You know…we still have some pocky left," Sasuke pointed out, gesturing to the small box on the table.

Sakura blushed, and then smiled as she plucked one out and held it against his lips.

**END JULY 26**

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I think there are only about 3 three or four more chapters left!**


	19. Silver Ring

**A/N: Hello again! Of course, it's time for the weekly update! Enjoy!**

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**000**

**JULY 27 (three more days left!)**

Sakura woke up with a warm pressure on her lap. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Sasuke resting his head on top of her lap.

She giggled softly as she reached over to play with his locks.

"What are you doing…?" He murmured as he lifted his head up.

"You should drop by home to freshen up," Sakura suggested, poking home. He smirked.

"Do I smell?" He asked her, teasing.

"Yes!" She lied, giggling. He rolled his eyes.

"I'll be back in an hour," Sasuke told her as he approached the door. Sakura mumbled something that he couldn't quite hear.

"Hn?" He questioned, cocking up an eyebrow. Sakura's face turned florid.

"…Can you get some more pocky…?" She asked shyly as she bunched up the sheets in her clenched fists.

Sasuke merely smirked widely as he left the room.

**000**

"How's Sakura?" Shikamaru asked casually as Sasuke entered the summer home. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him, and crossed his arms.

"She's good," He replied, almost suspiciously.

"Hm…maybe I should go back with you so I can visit her too," Shikamaru continued. The Uchiha scoffed.

"Or maybe you should just stay here with Ino," Sasuke answered back. The other boy sighed.

"Look, Uchiha. Sakura's just a very good friend. We've both become close during this vacation," Shikamaru explained, nearly cross.

"Yeah, whatever," Sasuke said as he passed by him to go into the kitchen. He grabbed a pocky box and smiled faintly at the memories from yesterday.

"Sasu-chan!" Mikoto cried out happily. She thrust a box into his hands.

"I made some chocolates for Sakura-chan! Make sure you give them to her! Now, go back to her!" She said pushing him out of the kitchen.

"Ah…wait, I have to go take a shower," Sasuke mumbled as he set the food on the counter and left upstairs.

**000**

_Knock knock!_

"Come in!" Sakura said. She expected to see Sasuke walk through the door, but was surprised to see someone else.

"Yumi-chan…" Sakura whispered in awe. The blonde girl walked smugly into the door and slammed down a vase of sunflowers onto the side table.

Yumi quickly rummaged through her bag and threw a package onto Sakura's lap.

"Chocolate chip cookies. I baked them. I didn't poison them, if that's what you're thinking," She said, crossing her arms. Sakura beamed at her with nearly tear filled eyes.

"Oh gosh, don't you dare start crying," Yumi told her, glaring slightly. Sakura continued smiling.

"I thought…I would never see you again," Sakura replied. Yumi turned around to face the window, and stayed silent.

"Hey. About Sasuke-kun. You can have him," She finally spoke. Sakura's eyes widened. Yumi flipped her hair.

"You…you deserve him more than I do. I mean…there are lots of other fish in the sea," She blurted out.

"I…thank you," Sakura said, not sure what else to say. Yumi blushed from sheer embarrassment.

"B…but this is the last time you'll ever see me! Be grateful I even showed up!" Yumi exclaimed, huffing.

"I'm going on a plane to Paris today," The blonde shrugged before Sakura could question. Sakura frowned.

"I've decided that I'm going to study there and pursue a love life later on," Yumi said, looking out the window. Sakura finally smiled lightly.

"Maybe you'll find love sooner than you expect," Sakura replied. Yumi sighed, and turned around. Sakura was shocked to see that tears were running down her cheeks.

"You know…it's really hard giving up…especially when I know I'm the one who's wrong," She muttered.

"You'll feel glad when you know you're doing the right thing," The pink-haired girl said. Yumi picked up her bag.

"Yeah…well…I'd better get going. If you…uh…ever want to visit me in Paris, let me know," The blonde said before hastily walking out of the hospital room.

A few minutes after Yumi had left, Sasuke entered the room.

"I saw Yumi. She was…crying," Sasuke said. Sakura smiled.

"She gave me flowers, Sasuke-kun!" She said cheerfully, pointing at the sunflowers basking under the sun from the open window.

"She told me that if I hurt you, she'd hurt me," Sasuke deadpanned. Sakura giggled.

"I guess we were meant to be friends after all…" She said happily.

"Ah…and tomorrow morning, I get to be admitted out of the hospital!" Sakura said loudly. Sasuke smirked.

"But then…we're going to be separated, aren't we?" The pink-haired girl questioned. Sasuke sighed.

"That's something I still need to think over, Sakura," He replied uncertainly.

"There's only three more days left…" She pointed out sadly.

"We can think more on that…after breakfast," Sasuke said as he set down the paper bag on the side table. Sakura opened her mouth reluctantly, then closed it again.

Silently, Sasuke put a piece of bacon into Sakura's mouth. She munched on it slowly, and snuck glances at him.

"I…want to stay with you," She whispered. He frowned. He moved over to sit on the edge of her bed and took her hand.

"I'll try my best to keep us physically together," Sasuke told her firmly.

"I just can't believe that soon, I won't be able to see anyone anymore. I wish that vacation could last forever…" Sakura said sadly.

"If you"—

The door quickly slid open, and Sasuke scowled as Shikamaru walked into the room.

"What's with that face, Uchiha? I **did** say I was coming over," He said, hiding a smirk. Sakura smiled and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Hello, Shikamaru-kun!" She greeted happily.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't bring anything over. I just felt like seeing you, is all," He replied as he sat himself down on a chair beside the bed.

"No, I felt like seeing you too," Sakura answered back as Sasuke continuously started glaring.

"That's nice to know," Shikamaru commented jokingly.

"Ah, Ino doesn't know you're here?" The pink-haired girl asked. Shikamaru scratched the back of his head.

"Ah…well…she got mad at me," He admitted. Sasuke scoffed.

"Serves you right…" The Uchiha muttered under his breath, earning an elbow from the pink-haired girl.

"But it's something I'd rather not talk about," Shikamaru said quickly, after seeing Sakura's concerned expression.

"Oh…" Sakura whispered.

"Well…ano…Ino's pretty moody. So she'll probably be okay with everything later," Sakura said quickly. Shikamaru sighed.

"I'm not so sure about that this time," He said truthfully.

"I'm pretty sure that I know what you did," Sasuke spoke up, slowly seething. Shikamaru stared at him.

"But…I won't say it. Not here. Let's talk outside," Sasuke said, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. Shikamaru eyed him carefully before following him out the door, leaving Sakura alone and confused.

**000**

"I can see Sakura's important to you," Sasuke pointed out. Shikamaru said nothing. The Uchiha continued.

"She's definitely different from Ino. Sakura's innocent, quiet and nice. Ino's not so innocent, loud mouthed"—

"Don't. Don't say that about Ino," Shikamaru cut in. Sasuke scoffed.

"You obviously still have feelings for Ino. But stay away from Sakura. I can't trust you with her," The Uchiha continued.

"Of course I like Ino. Sakura was just a big contrast from her that I felt…interested. But I have innocent intentions, Sasuke," The other boy explained.

"Then what did you and Ino argue about?" Sasuke asked.

"She just misunderstood. I'll clear things up with her later," Shikamaru replied. Sasuke crossed his arms.

"How would you feel if I constantly visited Ino?" He asked suddenly. Shikamaru frowned at this.

"Okay, Sasuke. I get it. I'm…sorry. Sakura's only a good friend to me," He finally said. Sasuke turned around, smirking.

"I'd be going over to Ino right now if I were you," He commented. Shikamaru nodded silently and left.

Sasuke returned back into the room to find Sakura soundly asleep. She stirred as he entered, and he sat down quietly.

He watched her silently. Sighing, he reached over to tuck a batch of pink hair behind her ear.

"You're so…" He mumbled. He shook his head and smirked.

**END JULY 27**

**000**

**JULY 28 (2 more days left!)**

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Sakura yelled, tugging on Sasuke's shirt with her good hand. He grunted, and she giggled.

"Hold on…" Sasuke said as he dragged her bag behind him.

"But I want to get out of the hospital as soon as possible!" The pink-haired girl whined.

Once they had exited the glass doors of the hospital, they were greeted by colorful confetti.

"Congratulations on being discharged from the hospital!" Naruto shouted, grinning. Sakura beamed at the group. Sasuke noticed contently that Shikamaru had an arm around Ino, who was smiling happily.

"We've decided that today we're going to go up on the huge hill behind the summer home!" Mikoto said, clapping gleefully. Sasuke looked at her uncertainly.

"Isn't there a forest we have to walk through to get to the hill?" He questioned.

"Well…yes. But it'll be _fun_!" Mikoto said. Sasuke scowled.

"Sakura has a broken arm," He pointed out.

"She'll be fine as long as you take care of her!" His mother countered. Sasuke sighed and silently admitted defeat.

"I'll be alright, Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered quickly.

"Neji and Ten Ten, and Itachi and Rain will each be in charge of bringing over the picnic baskets," Mikoto decided, observing them. "If that's alright," She added.

"No problem!" Ten Ten said cheerfully. Neji nodded quietly. Itachi sighed, but Rain quickly got him into agreeing.

"Naruto and Hinata will bring up the blankets…and…Sasuke-chan, can you persuade your father into going?" Mikoto asked. Sasuke blinked, confused. Mikoto sighed.

"I know it's not very likely…but the vacation's almost over…so, please?" She asked, slightly pouting. Sakura nudged him.

"I…yeah…" Sasuke finally muttered. Mikoto jumped up, grinning.

"Thank you, Sasuke-chan!" She yelled. Sasuke nodded, but frowned at the idea of trying to persuade his father.

**000**

"Your mother put you up to this, didn't she?" Fugaku asked as a ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips. Sasuke sighed.

"Yes, she did. But I guess I agree. Vacation's ending, and you should have some fun too," Sasuke pointed out, fidgeting slightly. Fugaku chuckled, much to his surprise.

"Yes, yes, I suppose so. I'll consider it," He replied. Sasuke nodded, and took this as a closure. He stood up and left the room.

As he shut the door, walked forward, and then stumbled over something. The thing squeaked. Sasuke widened his eyes.

"Sakura, what are you"—

He quickly helped up the pink-haired girl. She rubbed the ankle that Sasuke had stepped on.

"I was just sitting there to make sure Fugaku-san would say yes. But I guess I fell asleep…" She said, laughing lightly. He sighed.

"Is your ankle okay?" He asked. She nodded quickly.

"I keep…hurting you," Sasuke mumbled. Sakura giggled.

"Sasuke-kun, whatever happens isn't your fault," She told him. He opened his mouth to counter back.

"And me falling off the roof wasn't even your fault!" She added. Sasuke sighed, and shook his head.

"Whatever…I just don't really want to talk about this," He replied.

"Sakura! Sasuke! We're almost leaving!" They heard Ino yell from downstairs. Sasuke knocked on his dad's door.

"Father, we're leaving soon," He said. Sakura waited impatiently for the answer.

"I'll be there."

Sakura looked up and beamed at Sasuke, who smirked back.

Mikoto smiled when she saw Fugaku coming down the stairs.

"Ah! You're going with us!" She said happily. Fugaku nodded contently.

The whole group ambled outside and towards the forest.

"Does everyone have a flashlight?" Mikoto asked. Everyone nodded as they took theirs out and turned them on.

"Careful now," Fugaku said, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder. She turned back and smiled at him.

"Did any of you guys hear that…?" Ino asked nervously, looking around at the tall, dark trees. Neji scoffed.

"There shouldn't be anything around here except rabbits," He answered back.

"Y…you never know…" Ino mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"Hopefully if something does happen, Shikamaru won't be too lazy to help you," Naruto said jokingly, earning a scold from Hinata.

"What exactly are we going to do up there?" Itachi asked curiously. Mikoto grinned.

"We're going to have a picnic underneath the beautiful stars!" She replied.

"Lame…" Itachi murmured back. Rain elbowed him lightly, and he grunted.

"I just want all of you to have a romantic night before the vacation ends," Mikoto huffed at her eldest son.

"Sasuke-kun, you're being quiet…well, more quiet than usual," Sakura said, looking at him through the glow of the flashlight.

"I'm just…thinking," He told her, shaking his head.

"Nothing to worry about," He added. Sakura frowned.

"Okay then…" She said uncertainly.

"We're finally here!" Ino cried out, ungracefully tumbling onto the soft, green grass. Ten Ten plopped down happily and tugged Neji down with her.

Naruto carefully spread out a blanket for him and Hinata, and Itachi and Rain took a seat by a patch of blue flowers.

Mikoto and Fugaku stood up while Sasuke and Sakura sat near them.

"I'm so hungry!" Naruto shouted as he picked out food from the picnic basket.

"Sasuke-kun, are you feeling alright?" Sakura asked as she bit into a rice ball. Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Follow me," He told her, standing up. Confused, Sakura carefully stood up before rushing after him.

"Sakura…I…" Sasuke started. Sakura looked up at him with wide eyes, fearful of what he was going to say next.

"Damn, this is really hard to say…" He mumbled. Sakura frowned.

"Are you…breaking up with me?" She asked. He shook his head frantically.

"No, it's…it's the exact opposite," The Uchiha replied quickly. Sakura rose an eyebrow.

"I don't know what you're trying to say…" She told him, looking concerned.

Sasuke kneeled down, and looked up at her. He was grateful that it was dark, or else she would have seen his red face.

"Haruno parents, please give me permission to marry your daughter," Sasuke said, now looking up at the starry sky. The stars twinkled back at him merrily, and he smirked. Sakura looked breathless.

"Sakura…will you…" He began, fishing something out of his pocket. He held up a little silver ring.

"…marry me?"

Sakura suddenly sucked in a quick breath, and began choking on the air. Sasuke quickly stood up and patted her back. She giggled as she hugged him.

"Yes, I will!" Sakura told him, smiling. Sasuke, looking mildly surprised, gingerly slipped the ring onto her finger.

"That's why you were so quiet," Sakura said. Sasuke nodded.

"It's really…nerve racking," He muttered, looking away.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," The pink-haired girl told him. He cocked up an eyebrow.

"For what?" He asked. She grinned.

"You've made me smile probably a million times. You make my day, and you're always there to take care of me. I'll probably never be able to return the whole favor, but I'll do my best," Sakura told him, nodding.

"Uchiha Sakura…sounds good," Sasuke smirked.

**000**

"P-proposed?" Mikoto shrieked once she saw the ring on Sakura's finger. All of the others turned to look.

"Oh…my gosh…" Ino said before laughing and hugging her friend.

"Oh…oh this is so great!" Mikoto said as tears filled her eyes.

"I always thought it would be Itachi first…but this is still so great!" She said happily. Itachi rolled his eyes.

Fugaku watched the group contently.

'_Kimoto, it seems I've somehow been able to keep our promise.'_

"_Fugaku! Guess what? Risa-chan's pregnant! I was so nervous when I found out!" Kimoto said, laughing. Fugaku patted him on the back. _

"_That's great news, Kimoto," He replied, smiling. Kimoto grinned. _

"_Promise me this, Fugaku. Promise me you'll help me raise my daughter. You're my best friend, and I know I can't do this alone," He requested. _

"_Of course," Fugaku said. Kimoto sighed, relieved. _

"_Whew! Thanks, Fugaku. Really. I'm glad to have you as a friend. I hope she grows up to be a good person like you."_

Fugaku sighed heavily, and looked up at the starry sky.

**END JULY 28**

**A/N: Okay…so I kind of half-assed some of these days, haha. I'm sorry! Oh, and for those who forgot who Kimoto is, refer to the chapter 'Feelings' and there should be a flashback mildly explaining the situation between Fugaku and Sakura's father, Kimoto. **

**Thank you for reading! Two chapters left!**


	20. Gold Ring

**A/N: This was delayed by a week. But I made this chapter longer than usual, so I hope that makes up for it. **

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Twenty**

**000**

**JULY 29 (1 more day left!)**

"You look angry," Sasuke commented as he entered the room. Itachi looked up, and looked away again.

"What? Are you mad I proposed before you could?" Sasuke asked, smirking. Itachi reached into his pocket and took out a golden ring.

"Maybe," He muttered. Sasuke scoffed.

"Go do it now. She'll be ecstatic," He told him. Itachi turned to look at him.

"It's three in the morning, Sasuke," He pointed out. His younger brother shrugged.

"Not a lot of people propose at three in the morning. I think she'll like it if you do something unique for once," Sasuke replied. Itachi stood up and sighed.

"What do mean 'for once'?" He mumbled as he walked up the stairs.

**000**

"Rain…?"

"Rain, wake up."

"Hey. Rain."

Rain groaned as she flipped over. She cried out as she fell off the bed and hit the floor.

"…Baka."

The girl stood back up and flopped onto the bed again.

'_I'm hearing voices inside my head…'_

"Rain, don't go back to sleep."

'_Hm…it sounds a lot like…'_

"Rain."

'_Itachi-kun.'_

She opened her eyes.

'_Oh. It__** is**__ Itachi-kun.'_

She frowned.

'_Wait!'_

"W…why are you in here?" She burst out, pointing. Itachi sighed.

"Finally." He muttered.

"That doesn't explain why you're in here," Rain huffed as she sat up. Upon crossing her arms, she discovered that one of her fingers felt strange.

She observed her to finger to see that there was something there. A ring. A pretty, shiny, gold ring.

She screamed.

**000**

"It's like, proposal city in here or something," Ino said as she watched Rain and Sakura talk excitedly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there was another proposal," Ino added, rolling her eyes.

"I think you're just envious," Shikamaru shrugged beside her. She glared at him.

"Maybe someone's just too lazy to propose," She shot back, crossing her arms. Shikamaru snorted.

"Uh huh. I will sometime, but not now, Ino," He replied casually. Ino huffed.

"Ah, Sakura, we should have our weddings at the same time!" Rain exclaimed. Sakura beamed, and nodded.

"No," Sasuke and Itachi snapped at the same time. The two girls pouted at them before continuing to rave on about weddings.

"Ah…so nice to be young…" Mikoto sighed from the couch in the corner. Sasuke scoffed as Sakura looked over and smiled brightly at him.

"I don't want to ruin anything, but…we should all be packing up now," Neji pointed out. Ten Ten elbowed him hastily. Fugaku nodded.

"Yes. That would seem so. Getting to the airport takes four hours itself," Fugaku pointed out. Mikoto frowned.

"I guess it does seem like we'll have to pack up now…" She trailed off.

"…Let's all get started then," Naruto muttered as he helped Hinata up. Two by two, the teens left to their rooms.

**000**

Sakura sighed as she walked around the seemingly empty room. She patted her large, pink luggage back and sat down on the lonely bed.

"This really was…a short trip, wasn't it?" She asked herself as she took out the lavender ribbon from her pocket. She frowned as she put it back into her pocket and looked up at the ceiling.

"Sasuke-kun…Sasuke-kun…Sasuke-kun…" The pink-haired girl whispered.

"Hn?" A voice beside her said. She jumped.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted, shocked. He smirked.

"You were thinking so much that you didn't even notice me come in," Sasuke pointed out. She rolled her eyes.

"I was thinking…where we'll be going. Where **you'll **be going," Sakura said, glancing out the window.

"I'm going with you," He said in an instant. Sakura stared at him.

"R…really?" She asked. Sasuke nodded firmly.

"I'll go with you," He repeated.

"B…but the company"—

"We've forged a contract with the Hyuuga. And Itachi will be taking over the company. Everything's set," Sasuke explained. Sakura continued to stare.

"I'm…glad," She finally told him, smiling.

"Oh…but Rain and Itachi…" Sakura trailed off uncertainly.

"Rain's decided to follow Itachi wherever he goes. They'll be okay; I'm sure," He told her.

"And everyone else"—

"Sakura. That's their business. You don't have to worry about them," Sasuke cut in. Sakura frowned and put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm just…nervous," She admitted. He cocked up an eyebrow.

"Nervous?"

"I feel like I'll never see them again. Itachi and Neji will be too busy managing companies. Everyone else has their own lives too. They'll all be busy. And I…I don't have anything special to do," Sakura explained. Sasuke scoffed, and she looked at him, offended.

"You'll be my **wife** Sakura. You don't need to get a stressful job or anything. You just need to be you. Your special job is to keep me sane," He told her, kissing the top of her head. She blushed.

"I'm glad I met you, Sasuke-kun."

**000**

"You seem…sad," Sasuke mumbled. The other boy stopped strumming his guitar, and looked up.

"Sai," Sasuke said.

"I don't really want to talk, Uchiha," Sai replied. Despite these words, Sasuke sat down next to him.

"I know Sakura's important to you," Sasuke started. Sai stayed silent as he began to strum the guitar again.

"But to me, she's more important. And my importance means more to her than yours," The Uchiha explained. At this, Sai sent him a light glare.

"But…Sakura hasn't been acting the same lately. She's still hung up on you. You've been ignoring her, and she's hurt," Sasuke said. Sai sighed.

"I don't feel like facing her. Rejection is…painful, Sasuke," Sai told him.

"It's probably a feeling you've never felt," He added emotionlessly. Sasuke scoffed.

"Sakura's made me feel that before. Nothing's perfect for us. But still, talk to her. I'm letting you," Sasuke said before standing up. The Uchiha brushed off his hands on his pants, put his hands into his pockets, and walked away.

Sai listlessly strummed the guitar, thinking.

**000**

"I'm sorry."

Sakura froze, startled. She looked up at Sai, who looked emotionless as usual.

"You don't have to be sorry," She finally told him.

"I think I do. I did wrong things," He replied simply. To his surprise, Sakura smiled.

"Okay…thank you. You'll do great in life, Sai," Sakura said.

"Yeah…" Sai muttered back.

"You too…" He said awkwardly, without looking at her.

"Where will you go after this vacation?" Sakura asked nervously. Sai looked at her this time.

"Home," He told her. She rose an eyebrow.

"And that is…?" She asked.

"Back to the countryside of Japan. So I can draw again," He replied.

"Oh…maybe I'll visit sometime," Sakura said, offering a smile. He shrugged.

"It'd be better if you didn't," Sai told her. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably.

"R…really? I don't want you to be lonely," She said. He sighed.

"Get back to your life, and I'll get back to mine. Bye," Sai finally said before turning around and leaving. Sakura stared down at the koi in the pond.

"You'll be lonely, huh?"

**000**

"Don't look at me like that," Karin snapped at Sasuke, who was glaring lightly at her.

"Sai told me that you guys are leaving tomorrow. I just wanted to say goodbye," She explained.

"You don't have any tricks up your sleeve?" Naruto asked. Karin rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm afraid not," She said sarcastically.

"Now, where is she?" She asked. Sasuke frowned.

"I don't want you to see her," He told her.

"I know you guys are like…engaged now. I just want to set some ground rules with her," Karin told him. Sasuke observed her expression before sighing.

"I have innocent intentions this time, Sasuke-kun," Karin said, smiling. Sasuke side stepped out of the way to let Karin come in.

"Sakura!" Karin bellowed. After a few seconds, the girl emerged from the backyard. She widened her eyes.

"You…" Sakura whispered. Karin scoffed.

"Yeah. I…I heard about you and Sasuke-kun. And…congratulations," The red head admitted, looking away.

"But listen. If you decide to throw him away, he's mine again, got it?" Karin demanded. Sakura beamed, and nodded.

"Loud and clear," She replied. Karin sighed.

"Contact me if you have any problems," She muttered before walking back to the door.

"Karin-chan! Thank you!" Sakura said as Karin shut the door. Sakura frowned.

"What?" Sasuke questioned.

"This vacation was too short," The pink-haired girl sighed.

"We only have a few hours of tomorrow, and then we'll be driving to the airport…" She added. Sasuke put an arm around her.

"I'll never forget the memories we had here," He told her firmly. His finger brushed against the ring she was wearing, and they both blushed.

**000**

"This is the last night here…" Rain sighed to herself as she crossed her arms. She paced the living room impatiently.

"And Itachi"—

"What about me?"

The girl jumped. Itachi came down from the stairs calmly. She smiled at him reluctantly.

"Um…" She trailed off nervously.

"Let's go somewhere," He said suddenly. Rain blinked in confusion.

"It's midnight right now, Itachi-kun," She pointed out. He rose an eyebrow.

"I can see that," He replied casually. Rain remained perplexed.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked, concerned. He put his hands on her shoulders, and took in a deep breath.

"The end of this vacation marks the end of my youth. After this, I'll have to manage the Uchiha company, and I won't have a lot of time for you," Itachi explained. Rain frowned.

"I know that…" She said sadly. He opened the front door.

"Then take my hand. And we'll go somewhere," The Uchiha smirked, reaching out his hand. She finally smiled happily at him. She grabbed his hand, walked out with him, and the door was shut.

**000**

"N…Naruto-kun…?" Hinata spoke, sounding surprised. She had wandered into the kitchen, and found Naruto there, eating a cup of noodles. He looked up and grinned through a mouthful of ramen.

"I'll make you one!" Naruto shouted out, gesturing to the cup of noodles. Before Hinata could speak again, the blond went off into the pantry once more.

She smiled lightly as she sat down and waited patiently. A few seconds later, Naruto began boiling the water, and came back to wait with her.

"So…" He started awkwardly. Hinata blushed.

"Naruto-kun, where are you going after this vacation?" She asked.

"Wherever you go," He said automatically. His cheeks turned red and he cursed lightly.

"Well…um…where _are_ you going?" He asked.

"Wherever…Naruto-kun goes…" She replied, looking away.

"Heh, then we'll have a problem there. We'll have to decide where to go, huh?" Naruto said, grinning again.

"I want to be as far away from Neji as possible, please," He joked. Hinata giggled.

"We can go to Japan," She pointed out. He jumped up excitedly.

"We should! We can live together around where teme and Sakura-chan are, and"—

He stopped.

"I guess you could say…that was my unintentional way of proposing," He said when he saw her startled expression.

"But I've been thinking about it for a while!" Naruto added quickly.

"And it's not because teme proposed either! I…I really _like_ you, Hinata-chan. And I can't imagine being with anyone else," He told her, grabbing onto her shoulders.

"I…I like you too, Naruto-kun," Hinata breathed out. He showed her his infamous grin.

"Good," He said before kissing her.

The bubbling sound of the boiling water was unheard, and then ignored.

**000**

"Ino, don't tell me you're still mad," Shikamaru sighed as he watched the girl stuff her face in a pillow.

"I'm not mad…just disappointed," She huffed back. He sighed once more and went over to sit next to her.

"And why's that?" He asked even when he already knew the answer. She glared at him and said nothing.

"Look, getting married is troublesome. I'm not saying we'll never get married…but right now just isn't the time," He explained carefully.

"You probably have feelings for Sakura," Ino snapped. Shikamaru groaned.

"She's a friend, Ino. I like you. Don't act like an Uchiha," He said. Ino stared at him before giggling lightly. He rose an eyebrow.

"What?" He demanded.

"Nothing!" The blonde replied, hugging him.

"Let's watch the clouds together when we get back, okay?"

"I thought you said it was boring."

"Well…I'm just trying to make you happy!"

"Okay then. We'll go shopping after."

"I thought you said that it was boring!"

"Just trying to make you happy."

**000**

"You'll be busy, won't you?" Ten Ten asked as she glanced over her shoulder at Neji. He sighed.

"I don't want to be busy. But it's inevitable now, Ten Ten," He replied calmly. She half laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so…" She said, smiling lightly. He frowned at her.

"Do you want to help me?" He asked. She stared at him, slightly startled.

"Huh?" Ten Ten questioned.

"Be my secretary in the company. That way, we could see each other more. That way, we could be more dependant on each other," Neji explained.

"But…don't you already have one?" She asked nervously. He shrugged.

"I have to power to fire people," He told her. She shook her head furiously.

"T…that's unfair!" She said loudly. He sighed.

"Okay, I'll just have her assigned to some other job. Better?" Neji asked.

"Uh…but I don't know anything about being a secretary…" Ten Ten trailed off. He smirked.

"You'll learn," He told her, putting his chin on top of her head.

**000**

Mikoto sighed as she stared at the computer screen. She smiled faintly at the photos of the trip.

'_These children…are amazing.'_

**A/N: The next chapter will be the last! Thank you for reading!**


	21. Going, Together

**A/N: The wait is over, and this story is finally done! Here is the last chapter! I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed or favorite-d this story; it means a lot to me! **

**Rich Boy, Poor Heart II**

**Chapter Twenty One**

**000**

"Sakura…Sakura, wake up."

"Nn…" Sakura mumbled as she groggily opened her eyes. Sunlight was flooding from the window; a sign that it was probably past noon already.

"Are we…are we leaving already?" Sakura asked Sasuke reluctantly as he sat down next to her on the bed.

"We're leaving in two hours," He replied calmly, stroking her hair lightly. She frowned.

"Let's go somewhere," Sasuke said, grabbing her hand. Sakura widened her eyes.

"Eh…but"—

"Alone time. We need alone time together," He said, blushing slightly. Sakura also found her cheeks turning pink.

"Um…okay…" She stammered back, embarrassed, but happy.

**000**

"Where have you two been?" Mikoto asked suspiciously. Itachi and Rain exchanged nervous glances.

"You two never came back home last night, and only came back now. I've been worried!" Mikoto continued. Rain bit her bottom lip.

"Ah, I'm really sorry, Mikoto-san. But…uh…Itachi-kun forced me and"—

Itachi elbowed her, causing her to go quiet. Mikoto sighed.

"Well…it's the last day. So I guess I'll just let you two off," She replied, smiling.

At that moment, both Sasuke and Sakura came down from the stairs, hand in hand.

"And where are you two going?" Mikoto asked, going into her motherly-mode once again. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"We're going out, mother," He replied as he reached over to open the door.

"Be back soon," Mikoto said. Sakura nodded, beaming.

The couple left the house. Rain giggled.

"They're kind of like us, Itachi-kun," She pointed out.

**000**

"W…where are we going?" Sakura asked as Sasuke continued to lead her somewhere.

"A place that's quiet. A place where it can only be the two of us," He replied without looking back. Sakura blushed and continued to trail after him.

He stopped walking once they had reached a park. Only a couple people were there, so it was quaint and quiet.

Silently, they walked into a flower field, and sat down there.

"Sasuke-kun…why did you choose me?" Sakura asked. He gave her a slight look of disbelief, and she quickly continued.

"Over Karin, and Ino, and Yumi…why me?" She asked again. He sighed, then smirked when he saw her worried expression.

"I'll admit. You're not the cutest. You're not the sexiest. You're not that talented. But those things still drew you to me. And that's why I like you," Sasuke explained. Sakura sent him a slight glare at the offenses he had given her.

"Why do you like me?" Sasuke asked casually. The pink-haired girl blushed.

"You're not the nicest," She began imitating, and he nearly laughed.

"You're not the sweetest. And you're not the most original. But there are just certain things I like about you," Sakura said, smiling.

"Like?" He questioned, nudging her to go on.

"You're cute. And it's cute when you get jealous," She cooed, causing his cheeks to glow. She smiled charmingly at him.

"I just wish things could stay like this forever…" She mumbled, clutching onto his hand.

"I'm sorry for everything bad that has ever happened on this trip," Sasuke sighed, squeezing her hand back.

"Bad…?" She said, confused. He clenched his teeth.

"Yumi. Karin. What you found out about me and Karin. Sai," Sasuke began. Sakura frowned.

"My dad treating you badly," He added. Sakura shook her head.

"It's alright now. All that's been solved, and we're not in that time anymore," She told him.

"Still…all the bad things happen to you, not me," He pointed out, frustrated. She beamed.

"Maybe I should make you jealous then?" Sakura suggested jokingly. He scowled at her playfully.

"That's annoying," He muttered, glaring lightly at her. She giggled.

"I was kidding"—

He kissed her then. Startled, she tumbled down onto the grass, but he didn't care. He followed down with her, and focused his mind only on her for the moment.

**000**

"E…engaged…" Sakura whispered, staring at Hinata and Naruto.

"Yes, Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

"KYAAAAAAA!" Sakura yelled, hugging them both. Behind her, Sasuke sighed. Then, he noticed Hinata's hand with a smirk.

"Dobe, you didn't even bother to get her a ring?" He pointed out. Naruto's tanned cheeks turned furiously red.

"I…I didn't think I would really propose to Hinata-chan! I just thought the moment was really nice, so…" He trailed off, at a frustrated loss for words. He glanced over at Hinata, who blushed.

"Sasuke-kun, stop making fun of Naruto," Sakura said, sticking out her tongue at him.

"And I'll make it up to her! The moment we get back home, we're going to go buy a ring, Hinata-chan! I won't buy or eat ramen for weeks!" He shouted, determined.

"A…ah…you don't really have to do that, Naruto-kun…" She said instantly. He shook his head stubbornly.

"Nope! I need to buy you a ring!" Naruto repeated. Hinata stared at him for a while before smiling softly.

"I'll cook you ramen everyday then," She told him. He grinned.

"Really, Hinata-chan?" He asked in disbelief. Hinata smiled and nodded. He embraced her, and she nearly stumbled backwards.

"Hm, we sure are lively this afternoon," Mikoto commented as she entered the room. Sakura beamed.

"Naruto and Hinata are engaged," She informed cheerfully. Mikoto squealed happily, much to Sasuke's slight horror.

"Why are all of you so _cute_?" She shouted, enveloping the newly engaged couple into a hug. Naruto grinned shamelessly.

"Ah…you really want to make me relive my teen years. I remember your father, Sasuke-kun! It might not look like it now, but he used to be so adorable! He was always annoyed by me, and would avoid me as much as possible!" Mikoto explained passionately. Sakura, Hinata, and Naruto listened intently as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"However…one day, his hormones got the better of him, and he slammed"—

"Okay, Mother, that's enough!" Sasuke said loudly, covering Sakura's ears furiously.

"Well, anyway, after that incident, your father vowed to stay with me. He confessed that he's been observing me, and that he grew feelings for me! Ah…good times…" Mikoto sighed, shaking her head slowly. Sasuke merely scoffed.

"Typical love story," He pointed out dully. Sakura glared lightly at him before beaming at Mikoto.

"I'm too scared to leave you alone with Sakura now," Sasuke added.

"Why, Sasuke-kun?" Mikoto asked, whining.

"The things you say…" He muttered, shaking his head in disapproval. Sasuke stared at the staircase.

All of a sudden, out of the shadows, Neji stepped out, startling him.

"Naruto…" Neji seethed slightly. Naruto widened his eyes, and quickly cowered behind Hinata.

"How can you get engaged to Hinata without my permission?" Neji demanded. Naruto squeaked out an inaudible answer.

"Speak up, dobe," Sasuke said, nudging him roughly.

"Besides that, you didn't even propose properly, and you didn't give her a ring," Neji added, crossing his arms. Hinata bit her bottom lip.

"It's okay, Neji-nii…I'm happy, so it's okay," She spoke out. Neji frowned, and then sighed heavily.

"I guess…so long as he makes you happy…" Neji fought for the right words. He scratched the back of his head uncertainly, and Sasuke smirked smugly.

"I…approve, I suppose," Neji admitted, glancing away.

"I think you've always secretly approved, Neji-kun," Sakura pointed out, smiling. He continued to avoid eye contact with the others.

**000**

"Well…the trip's finally coming to an end, huh?" Shikamaru asked as he looked up at the clouds. Sakura smiled sadly, and nodded.

"Wherever you go, just be happy, okay?" He continued.

"Of course," She replied. An awkward silence passed over them.

"Um…" He started, frowning slightly. Sakura touched his arm lightly, and he almost flinched.

"Want to…play shougi one last time?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. He stared at her before smirking.

"Yeah," He replied as he helped her up from the grass.

**000**

"So…what are your plans after this trip?" Sakura asked curiously as she sat back. The game board was still filled with shougi pieces. Shikamaru's pieces stood out victorious and seemingly glowing.

He sighed, and sat back beside her.

"Probably go back home with Ino. And I guess…find the right time to propose," He shrugged.

"You don't have to force yourself to propose just because everyone else is," Sakura pointed out. He half laughed.

"Actually, I do. It's a man thing, you won't understand," Shikamaru said. She rolled her eyes.

"Ino's actually pretty patient, even if it doesn't look like it. She can wait," Sakura said.

"You would just need to reassure her often," The pink-haired girl added. He rose an eyebrow.

"Reassure?" He questioned. She nodded politely.

"You know, take her out on dates, be affectionate, and the like," Sakura explained, smiling.

"You might as well date Ino," Shikamaru joked. Sakura giggled back.

"But anyway…best of luck to you and Sasuke. Contact us about the wedding if you can," Shikamaru told her as he stood up and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Sakura quickly looked up at him.

"I had fun with you on this trip," Sakura said, beaming at him. He stared, and then nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Yeah, same here," He said, smirking lightly as he left the room.

**000**

"E…eh…?" Sakura whispered as she tried to switch the lights on. She switched it on and off, but nothing worked. She frowned and put her hands on her hips.

The door, which was letting some light into the room, shut, leaving the room completely dark. She was about to yell, but a hand quickly covered her mouth.

"Shh," A soothing voice said to her. The nerves in her body relaxed instantly at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

"Sasuke-kun?" She whispered. She saw the very faint outline of a person moving, and then heard the sound of a match being lit.

Sakura stared at Sasuke's face as he lit some candles. She smiled as he blew out the match.

"Why couldn't you just turn on some lights?" She asked, teasing slightly. He said nothing as he pulled her into a loose embrace. She inhaled sharply.

"We only have an hour left before we leave," Sasuke pointed out.

"But we'll still be together…" Sakura replied uneasily. He backed up a few steps, frowning.

"You sound scared," He said bluntly. She shook her head lightly.

"You think I'm going to do something to you?" He questioned. Sakura bit her bottom lip.

"We…we should go," She blurted out, attempting to walk over to her packed luggage. A hand caught onto her wrist, and she frowned.

"Sakura, I love you," He muttered, sounding frustrated. Sakura stared at him with her large, green eyes, and understood. He really does love her.

"I love you too, Sasuke-kun," She replied back, sliding back into his hug.

With that, he blew out the candles, and kissed her.

**000**

"Ah…goodbye, beautiful summer home," Mikoto said, sighing.

"I hope we get to see you again next year," She added. Iko, beside her, grasped onto her arm.

"Don't worry, Mikoto-sama! I'll be here to keep it clean!" She said. Sakura frowned.

"You're going to live here all by yourself?" She asked. Iko grinned, and quickly shook her head.

"Nope! Chouji-kun decided he wants to stay here with me!" The blonde replied. Sakura smiled cheerfully before hugging her.

"I hope to see you again," Sakura said. Iko hugged her back tightly.

"I wish you all happiness and luck," Iko told them as she all went into the limo. They waved and called out to her before the limo turned a corner, and Iko and the summer home were out of sight.

Sakura leaned on Sasuke's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her comfortingly.

What Naruto had anticipated to be a fun drive to the airport, turned out to be that of an extremely gloomy funeral.

"Oh, c'mon, you guys! We should be having fun!" He shouted. Hinata glanced towards him curiously.

"We won't be seeing each other in a while…so…" Naruto trailed off, sighing.

"That's the point. We won't see each other in a while," Ino pointed out.

"That doesn't give a good reason to why we should be acting like someone died," Naruto replied stubbornly.

"Naruto's right…we shouldn't be acting like this…" Sakura finally said as the boy looked at her gratefully.

"So…who's up for some champagne?" Naruto said as he took a bottle out from the limo's cooler. They all exchanged smiles.

**000**

"I think the love Itachi and Rain have is _stupid_!" Sakura yelled. Itachi glared lightly at her as Rain quickly patted his shoulder.

"She's just drunk, Itachi-kun," Rain said nervously.

"Would you mind clarifying that thought, Sakura?" Itachi asked as he drank out of his own cup again.

"Nope! I don't mind clarifying at all! I think you guys should make out more often!" The pink-haired girl continued. Rain choked lightly on oxygen.

"I mean, you guys are pretty old! And even Sasuke-kun proposed before you could. You guys are probably still even vir"—

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered as he threw a hand over his girlfriend's mouth.

"Let her talk some more, Sasuke," Itachi said darkly. Mikoto sighed.

"Itachi always becomes angry when he drinks," She whispered to Rain, who nodded nervously.

"I'll pass on that. You might kill her," Sasuke said calmly as Sakura struggled to get his hand off of her face.

"You're just like Sasuke-kun though! Sasuke-kun's always too scared to kiss me, and you're probably like that too!" Sakura shouted as she pushed down on Sasuke's hand. He frowned at that.

"I'm not," The two brother's said together, defensively.

"Uh huh. I bet Naruto and Hinata kiss more than we do," Sakura muttered, poking Sasuke's chest.

"Maybe _Shikamaru-kun's_ a better kisser than you are," She added, causing Shikamaru to fidget in his seat.

"Hey, you shut up about my boyfriend! You almost stole him from me!" Ino cried out as she poured something more into her glass.

"Yeah, I think Shikamaru might actually be better than you, Sasuke-kun," Sakura ranted on.

"Sakura," Sasuke said warningly.

"Oh, are you going to take advantage of me, like you almost did last time?" Sakura questioned.

"You defiled Sakura-chan?" Naruto yelled. Sasuke cringed.

"I didn't!" He said back.

"Aren't you glad I don't get drunk like that?" Ten Ten asked Neji, who merely sighed and nodded tiredly.

**000**

"They're a noisy bunch, aren't they?" The driver asked Fugaku, laughing.

Fugaku smirked, and nodded.

**000**

Sasuke sighed, tired, as he stared at everyone else who was currently asleep. Neji and Ten Ten were cuddled together in an affectionate sleep. Itachi's head was rested on Rain, who was leaning on Mikoto. Hinata's head was buried in Naruto's chest, who was asleep on Shikamaru's shoulder. Ino was sprawled out on the floor of the limo, snoring lightly.

Finally, he looked down at a girl asleep on him.

"She's really something when she's drunk, isn't she?" Mikoto asked softly. Sasuke looked over at her and sighed again.

"Yeah," He muttered back.

"Was anything she said really true?" Mikoto asked suspiciously, yet teasingly. Sasuke scowled lightly.

"Not that much," He replied with glowing cheeks.

"We have arrived at the airport!" The driver called out, startling the sleeping boys, save for Naruto.

The boys woke up the girls and Naruto, and they all climbed out of the limo. They all stretched and yawned as the sunlight hit their skin.

"Okay…so me, Fugaku-kun, Neji, Ten Ten, Itachi and Rain are going back to America," Mikoto said as she held up their tickets.

"That's the first plane to leave…which is in hour…" She added, staring at the large clock.

"Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, Ino and Shikamaru are going back to Japan in an hour and thirty minutes," Mikoto said, handing them each their tickets. She sighed.

"All of you are such good people. Have fun with life, and make good choices, alright?" Mikoto asked, smiling tearfully.

**000**

_An hour later…_

"It's time for us to go," Neji pointed out calmly. Ten Ten frowned and looked over at the rest of the girls.

"You guys have no idea how much I'll miss you," She said, rubbing her eyes. Without warning, the girls all went into a large group hug. They all parted, laughing and crying.

"Sakura, if Sasuke-chan does something dumb, you call me, okay?" Mikoto demanded. Sakura smiled, and nodded.

"Your father was a great man, Sakura. I'm sorry for anything bad I have done to you," Fugaku told her.

"I'm sure my dad is happy right now," Sakura replied, nodding.

"Take care, foolish little brother," Itachi smirked, ruffling his younger brother's hair. Sasuke merely smirked back.

"Well, see you," Neji said waving them off, and putting am arm around Ten Ten.

"Don't forget to contact us about the wedding!" Rain shouted out as they walked away.

"Same goes to you!" Sakura yelled back, beaming. She waved weakly, before her arm landed limply by her side.

"They're gone…" She whispered. Sasuke hugged her from behind, putting his chin on top of her head.

"We'll see them again, someday," He told her.

"Yeah…" She finally replied, smiling lightly.

_Thirty minutes later…_

"We should all get going now," Sasuke said, glancing up at the clock. Sasuke helped Sakura with her luggage as they all walked off.

"K…Kiba! It's Kiba-kun!" Sakura said, pointing. They all looked, and sure enough, Kiba was there. He stood in front of the gate of the plane, wearing a uniform.

"Whoa! Didn't expect to see you guys here!" Kiba announced.

"You work here?" Shikamaru questioned. Kiba grinned.

"Yeah. It's only temporary though," He shrugged. He glanced down at their luggage.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you guys got your luggage checked already. But…uh…it's law that I need to check…well…you know," Kiba said uncertainly.

"Sasuke, arms up," Kiba said quickly. Sasuke scowled before obeying. Kiba quickly patted down his body.

"Okay, you're good. Naruto, you're up," He said. Naruto grimaced.

"I'm not holding anything dangerous," He said. Kiba rolled his eyes.

"I know that. But I still have to check anyway," He informed him. Grumbling, Naruto put his arms up and Kiba patted down his body like he had to Sasuke's.

"Freaking homo. You probably just wanted to touch me," Naruto said, sticking his tongue out.

Kiba checked Shikamaru, and then glanced over at the three girls.

"_Oh_, no," Naruto muttered.

"I have to check them! It's my job!" Kiba said defensively as he gestured Ino over. Shikamaru glared at him as he patted Ino's body. Ino giggled lightly.

"Ticklish?" Kiba teased, touching her side again.

"That's enough," Shikamaru said, pulling Ino by the elbow.

"I can check Hinata-chan myself!" Naruto said quickly before Kiba could land a hand on her.

"You're not licensed," Kiba said bluntly as he ignored Naruto and patted Hinata's body. Naruto quickly pulled her with him when he was done.

"I should mess with your boyfriend," Kiba whispered as Sakura walked towards him. Sakura giggled.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea," She pointed out. He sighed.

"Yeah, I'll get him next time," Kiba said playfully while patting her body down. Sasuke wrapped an arm around her when he was done.

"Have a good trip!" Kiba called out. The girls all smiled and waved back at him.

"Bastard," Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru muttered together.

**000**

Sakura stared out the window contently. It was a good trip. She was constantly surrounded by friends, and nothing too bad had happened. She became closer with many people, even Karin and Yumi.

And now, she was finally going back.

She smiled over at Sasuke, who held her hand loosely. He smirked back at her.

They were going back, and they were going back together.

**000**

A figure stood in front of the airport. He held a paper in one hand, and a guitar in the other.

He glanced down at the picture, which was a sketch of Sakura looking down at the koi pond.

The corners of his lips turned upwards as he sat down and strummed at his guitar. He looked back down at the sketch, then up at the plane that was flying away from him.

**A/N: It's done! It took me nearly three years to finish, but I finished! Of course, I feel like a part of me has been lost, but I also feel relieved. Hopefully, I can start again on new stories, and keep writing. **

**I hope that those who support me now will continue to support me! Without you guys, I would be a hopeless writer! So, I hope this last chapter satisfied you all! **

**Thank you for everyone who has stuck with me until the end, and also to those who picked up on this story later. Every review, every favorite and every alert matters. **

**Thank you, thank you, thank you!**


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